


Once Upon A Magic Christmas

by BoysWillBePups



Series: Once Upon a Magic Christmas [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Dad Theo, Liam is a famous travel blogger, M/M, TW: mentions of racism, Theo is a hometown hunk, im sorry in advance, no editing, so expect cheesiness, the title is from a hallmark movie generator, this is literally just every christmas hallmark movie except thiam, tw: Mentions of Suicide, tw: depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:53:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 46,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27933409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoysWillBePups/pseuds/BoysWillBePups
Summary: Liam Dunbar, travel blogger and one half of the internet's favourite power couple, makes his return to Beacon Hills after years of living a lavish life in Los Angeles. He is sure that Beacon Hills is just as dull as he had left it, and nothing ever changed since his departure, but his goal is to make it through the holiday season in spite of his boredom. Maybe some sushi and bad karaoke help shake things up a little, or maybe a bookshop owner with a cute kid can convince Liam to look at his hometown in a new light.
Relationships: Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt, Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Malia Tate/Kira Yukimura
Series: Once Upon a Magic Christmas [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2184240
Comments: 45
Kudos: 70





	1. You can take the Beacon Hills out of the boy

Beacon Hills still has the same dull glimmer that it always possessed; the deputies still aimlessly patrol the town looking for a bike that seems stolen or a graffiti artist to warn off, the same homophobes from his high school lacrosse team still work at the local fast food joints, and the edge of the preserve still gave off the same lonely and ominous feeling that it always had. 

This was certainly a dumb idea. In fact, now that Liam is actually here, he thinks that it might be one of the dumbest decisions that he’s ever made in his twenty-four years of life. He hasn’t been back to Beacon Hills since he was seventeen, and he didn’t really find himself missing any of it at all. They say that distance can make you miss home, that time and nostalgia can make the past shine brighter, but Liam couldn’t name a single fond thing about the town if he tried. He’s been back for two hours, maximum, and he can already see that nothing has changed. _Nothing ever changes,_ and that was a major contributor to his eagerness to leave in the first place. 

He had first dropped off his things at his parents’ house. It was strange to see his childhood bedroom, nearly completely untouched since the last time he had been there. His mom had even left the Superman sheets on the bed, and the last of his senior-year textbooks were still neatly stacked in a pile on his desk. His comic book posters were still on his walls, and there was even a pile of clean, folded laundry next to his bookshelf. Although his interests had changed, _mostly,_ it was still kind of fascinating to get a glimpse in time of what he had been like in high school. _Joey would have loved to see this_ , Liam thinks while he grabs a funko pop that had been collecting dust on his desk. He checks his phone at the thought of Joey, seeing that he has a lot of notifications, but none of them are from his fiance. 

He decides, rather spontaneously, that maybe he’ll reacquaint himself with the town instead of just sitting around and waiting for Jenna to get back from her office. He’s grabbing his peacoat and lacing up his boots before dashing out the door, ditching his wallet in favour of slipping his credit card into the back of his phone’s case. 

It’s then, while walking down the street in the brisk winter air, that he realizes he hasn’t even bothered to call Mason yet. The dial tone rings out softly through Liam’s headphones: one, twice-

“Hello?”

“Hey, Mase!”

“Oh! Hey, Li!” 

“So, I’m going to apologize in advance, and I know that you’re probably going to kick my ass, but I’m in town right now.”

“Are you-” Mason’s voice has gone shrill for a moment, and Liam can hear him apologizing to someone in the background, “Yeah, Liam. I am going to kick your ass. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I-” Liam scratches the back of his neck, his eyes on the sidewalk, “I don’t really have an excuse. It was kind of spontaneous, I was planning on flying my parents to LA like usual, but Joey-”

“Joey? Will I finally get to meet this elusive fiance of yours?”

“No,” Mason can hear the frown in Liam’s voice, “He has work. This company ended up sending him to Belize to do a brand deal, and he wanted to take Jaylen and Julianna with him. They’ve never been there before and they’re on winter break, so…” Liam trails off with a shrug, knowing that Mason will get it despite the lack of visuals.

“Oh, that’s cool,” There’s words that Mason’s leaving out, Liam can tell, but he doesn’t comment on it, “so when do I get to see you?”

“Well, I was gonna ask if you were free now, I’m looking for some decent coffee.”

“Well,” Liam hears the shuffling and background voices again, “I’m kind of held-up at the moment, but me and Corey are doing karaoke and sushi tonight with some friends, are you down?”

“Oh, cool! Sounds like fun!” There’s a sudden bounce in Liam’s step at the prospect, “anyone I know?”

“No, but maybe someone you might want to know,” The last part of Mason’s response is mumbled, and Liam only catches every three words or so, but he hears a thump and Mason lets out an “oof” in response.

“Hey Liam!” Corey greets, cheerful as usual, “we’ll see you later!”

Liam is left confused, staring at his phone as he gets hung up on, trying to decipher the conversation he just had.

His search ends up pointless, and he wanders around Beacon Hills’ uptown aimlessly. Liam doesn’t think that he’s stuck up, or snobby, or bougie, but he does have to laugh at his own frustrations. Of course he had to leave his hometown and grow addicted to niche coffee brands that get all of their coffee beans from one specific tree that grows on one specific farm on the Ivory Coast in partnership with a fair-trade farmer. Nothing ever tastes quite as good. Beacon Hills was never the place for hipster coffee, though, and Liam knew that when he decided to come back in the first place. He should have brought some of his own damn coffee beans.

He walks home with an almond cream cold brew from Starbucks, humming along distractedly to the sounds of the music playing through his headphones. He passes the bookstore that he used to buy his used history books from as a kid. It looks different, perhaps the one thing in the entire town that has received an update since he left. The store is probably under new ownership. Ernest and Edith had always been sweet, but he couldn’t imagine either of them ever modernizing the store in such a manner.

He’s stopped completely outside, looking in through the huge glass windows to peer inside. The door has been painted green- or maybe it was changed- and inside Liam can see a beautiful display of greenery. There are hanging plants, and floor plants, and succulents, and it seems like the new owner replaced the old stained glass windows for larger ones that would let in more natural light. Liam walks towards the door, feeling compelled to check it out, to see the changes in more depth, but Liam makes eye contact with the cashier, his steps faltering. He looks to be about the same age as Liam, the same height too. He has brown hair, and his eyes are nearly as green as the paint on the door. He doesn’t know what’s overcoming him, but Liam’s suddenly pulling his hand away from the door’s handle, speed walking in the direction that he had originally been heading.

Maybe Beacon Hills was different after all, and Liam just wasn’t paying enough attention to appreciate it. He wanted the town to change, so badly that he had avoided it for years, but he still turned tail at the sight of the green door and the overflowing plants; the green eyes and the open sign. 

Liam groans, pulling at his hair with his fingers. He ran away at the first sign of life, but maybe Beacon Hills is still just the dull town that he had always known it to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This idea literally came to me right before I fell asleep last night, so please strap in for the ~~predictable~~ wild ride that will be Thiam as a hallmark movie. I used a hallmark Christmas movie title generator for the title because apparently, I think I'm funny.
> 
> I'm going to try to post one chapter a day up until Christmas!
> 
> Feedback and comments are always welcome, and check out [my tumblr](https://boyswillbepups.tumblr.com) if you want. Thanks for reading!


	2. Sashimi? You barely know me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam goes to sushi with Corey and Mason and has the pleasure of meeting some of their friends. He also realizes that maybe he's not actually a picky eater, and maybe it's just the person getting him to try the food that matters.

“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Instagram Famous.”

The clacking of a video game controller hitting the floor rings out around the room as Liam carelessly tosses it, rushing up from the couch. Before David can even put down his briefcase Liam is rushing into a hug. 

David laughs, returning it with just as much force. “Hey, Liam. It’s good to see you.”

Liam finally pulls away, a little embarrassed at his own eagerness. “It’s good to see you too, Dad.”

He backs up, allowing David his space to take off his shoes and coat. 

“How have you been?” Liam asks, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

“Good, good,” David nods along, “better now that I’m gonna have my family together, if I must admit.”

Liam absolutely beams, laughing a little. “Congratulations on the promotion, mom and I are really proud of you, she even called me screaming the night that she found out.”

“That definitely sounds like your mother. She pulled an air horn on me when I told her, I don’t even know where she got it from.” The two of them laugh along, reminiscing over stories from the times between when they had last seen each other. Liam had brought them on a trip to New York for Thanksgiving, so it had only been two months since their last meeting. Two months always feels so much longer when it comes to his parents, he finds himself missing them on a nearly weekly basis.

They laugh and talk for an hour and a half until the door finally swings in, Jenna stepping in. Her smile is one of those genuine ones that makes her eyes disappear and nearly splits her face in half, and Liam can’t help but return it as he’s enveloped in a hug just as enthusiastic as his hug with David had been.

“Hey Mom,” Liam greets, giving her a squeeze. Jenna pulls back, pushing Liam’s hair back from his face. 

“Liam, I expect you to visit more often after this, no excuses,” Jenna teases, kissing his forehead. 

“Of course,” Liam laughs, though he’s not so sure he could maintain that promise given how his day has gone so far.

“So, what are we having for dinner tonight, Li?” David inquires, finally moving away from the entryway where they had been standing since David got home. 

“Actually, I’m kind of ditching you guys tonight. Mason and Corey invited me to sushi and karaoke.”

“Oh, that sounds nice, Sweetheart!” Liam can tell by the tone of Jenna’s voice that she’s not upset that he’s ditching them on his first night back home. “Oh no,” Jenna makes an exaggerated face, as if she’s upset, “that means I’m going to have to have dinner with this one again.”

David makes a scandalized sound, laughing out a shocked chuckle, “oh quiet, you. Don’t pretend that you don’t make us have ravioli for dinner once a week.”

“They’re pasta with cheese and sauce already on the inside, David, what’s not to love?” 

Liam can’t help but feel incredibly at home by the sound of his parents’ playful bickering. He finds himself just observing their conversation, a contented smile on his face. Jenna notices once she’s stopped poking fun at David’s dinner choice.

“Go on, babyface, we’ll have plenty of time for family dinners before you have to go back to LA.”

Liam smiles, bolting up the stairs into his room to find something to wear. He didn’t bring much from LA, it would’ve been tough to fit more in with the Christmas presents that he brought, and he didn’t want to pack his car too full of suitcases. He settles on a brown knit sweater with chelsea boots, and he ditches his sweatpants for black jeans. He jumps into his clothes and grabs his toiletry bag, heading into the washroom. 

He takes a look at himself and fixes his hair. It still flops in his face like curtains like it had back in high school, but now he’s got kind of an undercut thing going on at the back, making him feel cooler than he knows he actually is. He considers eyeliner for a moment, but decides against it. He and Mason had always been way too over-the-top when it came to karaoke, and he could say with certainty that he has never been above pulling out the waterworks to make _Total Eclipse of the Heart_ all the more dramatic. 

He grabs his wallet, knowing he’ll probably need his ID, and says his goodbyes to Jenna and David before leaving with his car keys.

His car was modest, he believed, or at least he had tried to stay modest when it came to buying it. He had barely even managed to convince Joey to let him get it, but he couldn’t really blame anyone but himself for that. Liam had never really proven himself to be a great driver, and at one point it had gotten a little out of hand. ~~_But it’s totally not Liam’s fault. How was he supposed to know that parked cars didn’t magically move away if you got too close to them?_~~

The sushi restaurant was new. Sushi wasn’t really a mainstream food when he had left Beacon Hills. He tried it for the first time at Scott’s house, it had been brought home from a date with one of his ex-girlfriends. He hadn’t really been the biggest fan.

The bell above the restaurant’s entry door chimes when he walks in, and he’s able to quickly locate Mason and Corey based on how quick Mason’s head has snapped towards the door. He smiles wide, and Liam takes quick strides towards their table, excited to see his best friend after months apart.

Mason rises from his seat, squeezing Liam in a tight hug. When they pull away, Liam knows exactly what to do, as if the two of them were still in high school. They do their secret handshake, and it’s then that Liam notices the others sitting at the table. Corey looks fond, while the other three- two girls and a guy- are giving them a combination of strange and curious looks.

Mason turns, gesturing towards Liam. “Guys, this is Liam.” He turns back to point individually at everyone, “Liam, this is Malia, Kira, and Theo.”

“Hey guys, nice to meet you!” Liam muses, charismatic in the same manner that years of networking have taught him to be.

He gets three greetings in response, each at varying levels of enthusiasm, but the one that piques his interest the most is Theo’s. Theo doesn’t seem angry or intimidating, but his greeting is unbothered and nonchalant. Liam can’t put his finger on why he finds it refreshing, or even why Theo seems so familiar to him. The only free seat in the booth is one across from Theo, next to Mason and Corey, so Liam slides in after Mason sits back down.

“So, have you guys ordered already? I didn’t realize I was running late, my bad.”

“Nope, we were waiting for you,” Corey replies, “and you weren’t late, I think we all unintentionally ended up here early.”

“Ohh,” Liam trailed off, nodding along while Mason hands him a menu. 

Liam can definitely see the appeal in sushi, he really can, and he would never be one to refuse to try something because it’s from a different culture, but he had honestly just never liked sushi. Sushi had become a pretty popular food, especially in LA, and it made its way to pretty much every single influencer party. He had tried sushi, lots of it, in fact, but he could never bring himself to liking it. 

“I can’t believe you’re a fully-grown adult and you’re still such a picky eater,” Mason teases, not looking up from his own menu. 

Liam notices movement from the corner of his eye, making eye contact with Theo. The man looks nearly sheepish, and a little more than hesitant.

“They have pizza and nuggets here too,” Theo speaks.

Mason snorts and Liam scoffs, looking away, a faint blush finding his cheeks. 

“Uh, thanks,” If it had been Mason or Corey, Liam would’ve snapped back with something teasing, but he couldn’t really get a read on Theo yet. “Do you come here often?”

“Not really, but I’m no stranger to picky eaters,” Theo shrugs, looking back at his menu.

Corey laughs at that, “hey! I’m defending Maggie since she’s not here to defend herself. She’s been getting better, she even eats vegetables now.”

“Oh, give me a break. You sound just like her,” Theo laughs, jokingly flipping Corey off. “She only eats veggies if they’re on a pizza or in mac and cheese, that doesn’t count!”

“Of course it counts!” Corey feigns offence. 

Theo laughs harder, his cheeks reddening as he tries to find flaws in Corey’s argument. “Fine, whatever, but you’re the one who’s gonna have to tell her that chicken nuggets aren’t a food group.”

The table goes silent as they choose what they want to get, save for Mason’s absentminded humming and the sickeningly sweet flirting that Kira and Malia are doing. Even though Liam had just met most of them, he doesn’t feel particularly uncomfortable. If anything, he feels strangely comfortable in the setting. 

Mason is the first to order, using the iPad on the table to order for him and Corey. Kira ends up ordering for her and Malia, even though Malia claims that she doesn’t even know what she wants. 

“Don’t worry babe, I know what you’d like.” Kira reassures her, smiling softly in that cutesy way that couples do when they look at each other. Being an outsider in high school made Liam kind of a people watcher, it sounded weird and creepy if he ever admitted to it out loud, but he’s never been one of those cynical people who only sees the worst in others. When he looks around, and really takes things in, he gets to see the twinkle that people develop when they’re excited, or the act of someone comforting another, and all he can ever see is the absolute best in others until they show him that they shouldn’t. In high school, most of Beacon Hills had proven themselves unworthy of his optimism, but maybe this demanded a new light.

The look that couples gave each other had always endeared him. It’s sweet to see when people go soft, the feelings that can be conveyed by just one look. Joey and him had that, he liked to think, but he serves as a biased party when it comes to the matter.

When Theo orders, his eyes flick up from the iPad to Liam for a split second, as if he were considering something. He finally finishes and his fingers graze Liam’s when he hands the tablet over. Liam doesn’t understand why his heart beats a little faster, but he smiles and thanks Theo anyways.

Liam settles for this cool veggie pizza thing. It says the crust is made out of rice, so technically he’s still eating sushi, right?

“So Liam, what do you do?” Malia asks, taking a sip from her iced tea.

Kira looks shocked for a second, and then embarrassed, looking down at her hands. It seems like she wants to tell Malia something, but she remains silent. Liam smiles at the two of them.

“I’m an accountant.”

“Oh, shut up.” Mason giggles, rolling his eyes. 

“I hate this word so much, but I am an ‘influencer’,” He adds air quotes for added emphasis. 

“Oh, that’s cool! What kind?” Malia seems genuinely interested.

“I’m a travel blogger, I go to these different places around the world and do these posts about hidden histories and stuff,” Liam shrugs sheepishly.

‘Oh, no way!” Malia’s excitement forces Liam to look back up at her, “you’re Liamlytical! Kira loved your series on Japan and the one about Sweden!”

Liam laughs, trying not to embarrass Kira, who’s gone red in the face and buried her head in her hands. “Yup, that’s me.”

“That’s so cool, dude! I think social media would be so much more interesting if more influencers did cool stuff like that.”

They end up getting into a conversation about Europe. Malia and Kira had apparently married a few months earlier, and the two of them had gone on a trip through Europe for their honeymoon. They wanted to see less common landmarks during their trip, and apparently Kira had planned some of their trip based on suggestions from Liam’s website and the pictures from his instagram.

“Yeah, I have a series planned on some islands in the Caribbean over the next few months.”

“Really? What countries?” Theo has spoken up for the first time in a few minutes, and there’s an unreadable expression on his face. Corey’s face has gone tight, reserved, and Mason softly rubs a finger in circles on the back of Corey’s hand. 

“The Bahamas, Cuba, St. Lucia, and Barbados,” Liam furrows his brow.

Theo’s face falls minutely, nodding. 

“Oh! And Jamaica!” Liam finally remembers what he had been forgetting.

Theo’s face scrunches before returning to neutrality, and he nods again, a tight smile on his lips.

The sushi comes, and Liam is too distracted to ask about the sudden intensity that the conversation had developed. 

His pizza looks interesting. He looks around the table as if someone will give him instructions on how to eat it. Theo looks up from his own food, smiling softly.

“Wasabi and soya sauce.”

Liam grins in response, “thank you.”

He reaches for the soya sauce and pours some on his plate, and takes a little wasabi too. His brain was never fully able to comprehend how to use chopsticks, no matter how cool it looked to eat with them, so he settled on a fork, willing to admit to his weakness. 

He picked up a little pizza with his fork, dipping it in soya sauce and then wasabi, putting it in his mouth. He liked it, truthfully. He knew that it was all the same ingredients as normal sushi, but for some reason he liked it better in pizza form. 

“Like it?”

“Yeah, it’s really good.” 

“I thought you’d probably like it, Maggie barely eats anything with vegetables and she loves it.”

Liam did honestly find it a little strange that this mysterious Maggie was so against vegetables, but he laughed nonetheless. “I can see why.”

“Here,” Theo uses his chopsticks to pick up a piece of sushi from his plate, placing it down on Liam’s, “try this, Maggie likes these ones too.”

Liam uses his fork and repeats the dipping process with the piece of sushi that Theo had given him. He moans in pleasure when it’s in his mouth, closing his eyes. Theo giggles, waiting for Liam to finish chewing. 

“That was so good, what was that?”

“Just a California Roll.”

Liam tilted his head to the side, furrowing his brow, “I don’t think I’ve ever had one before, did that have fish in it?”

“Just imitation crab.”

Liam nodded thoughtfully, “maybe I’ll have to reconsider my opinions on sushi.” 

Theo smiled, nodding, “maybe you will.”

Mason elbows Corey, nodding his head subtly towards Liam and Theo. Liam barely even catches it, and just ends up confused.

The six of them crack jokes and get to know each other while they finish their sushi, and Liam feels relieved that he could finally connect with people who didn’t just want to be friends with him for the sake of networking. Malia and Kira were really cute, Kira was shy and sweet while Malia was brash, hilariously so. It was nice to catch up with Mason and Corey after months apart, the last time they had seen each other had been during the summer, when the school Corey works at was on summer break and Liam had invited them to stay for a couple of weeks in LA. Theo was the least talkative of them all, and he seemed to be observing and taking in everything around them. 

Dinner drew to a close, and they gathered up their things from the booth to head to karaoke. 

“Corey, are you gonna drive with Theo?” Mason asks as the six of them exit the restaurant, the cold chill hitting Liam’s skin instantly. 

Corey nods, “yeah, you heading with Liam?”

“Yeah,” he leans in to kiss Corey’s cheek, “we’ll see you guys at the karaoke bar!”

Liam presses the button on his key to unlock his car, following the not-so-distant beep that comes from it unlocking. He always forgot where he parked, every single time without fail.

“So,” Mason starts.

Liam groans, shaking his head. “You’re about to say something that you think I don’t want to hear, I can tell just from the tone you used.”

Mason chuckled, buckling his seatbelt. “Was not!”

Liam starts the car and looks at his best friend skeptically.

“I was just gonna ask how things have been with you and Joey.”

“Oh.” Liam has known Mason for two decades, he can tell what kind of thing Mason is about to say just based on the way that the other boy takes a breath before speaking. “Uh, we’re good. I guess we’re out of the honeymoon phase of engagement.”

“Oh, so things aren’t rosy?” Mason tries to understand.

“No, things are just fine, I guess we’re just out of that super lovey dovey phase where we only want to be around each other.” Liam shrugs, his eyes remaining on the torad.

“Oh,” Mason’s voice conveys that he would like to say more.

“Oh?”

“It’s just,” Mason shifts in his seat, “Corey and I have been like that pretty much our entire relationship, and I don’t really think we’re ever going to be different.”

Liam clicks his teeth, huffing from his nose, “I don’t know, Mase, maybe the two of us need to spend more time together that doesn’t involve work or something.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to assume-”

“Don’t apologize, you’re my best friend, if you’re not allowed to say things to me then who is?” Liam tries to lighten the tone. 

Mason hums his agreement. “It’s thoughtful of him to bring his siblings on vacation, I expect you to let me meet him soon.”

Just as they turn into the parking lot of the bar, Liam turns to make eye contact with Mason, “you will, I promise.”


	3. A man after midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang goes to karaoke!

The karaoke bar is kind of smokey when they walk in, loud voices coming from every single direction. Liam picks up on some older songs, from the 50s maybe, along with some more current hits. There’s even some songs being sung that aren’t in English. Mason is leading the way, and he grabs onto the sleeve of Liam’s sweater to drag him into their reserved room. 

Theo is the only one there, draped lazily over one of the couches, not completely sitting up or laying down. He moves into a straighter position when they enter, the corner of his mouth tilting upwards. 

“Corey went to go get some drinks, I’m not too sure where Malia and Kira are, but I can only assume that they’re up to no good.”

“Don’t let Malia hear you say that,” Mason laughs, putting his coat on an empty couch and sitting down. 

Liam takes in the room: three couches surrounding a square table facing a huge screen, a small machine with a microphone on the table. He assumes that each couple would probably want their own couch, and opts to sit down awkwardly next to Theo. Liam notices how Theo’s leg bounces, unsure of whether he even realizes that he’s doing it. 

Corey walks through the door, a server behind him with a tray of drinks. They all say their thank-yous when the server puts the drinks down on the table before promptly exiting the room. Corey stands in front of Mason, looking down at him.

“Hey,” Mason says, breathy.

“Hey,” Corey smirks back. 

“Okay, all you two did was greet each other and I’m already nauseous,” Liam makes a disgusted face and an exaggerated gagging noise, “cut it out mom and dad.”

Corey and Mason both laugh, and Corey sits down, practically on Mason’s lap. All Liam can do is roll his eyes, and then faintly blush when Theo laughs at him. 

Malia stumbles in first, visibly disheveled, and Kira is pulled in behind her. 

“Sorry guys, we had to stop for…” Kira trails off, looking helplessly at Malia.

“Gas.”

“Groceries.”

Theo laughs out loud, shaking his head. Kira has enough shame to look embarrassed, blushing brightly, but Malia owns the implications that their messy appearances suggest. 

“Okay, yeah, whatever. Laugh it up, Theo,” Malia flicks him in the temple as she passes him, “so are we doing some karaoke or what?”

Everything feels normal and comfortable in their little room. Liam finds it almost miraculous that he could have met these people that same night and already feel so comfortable around them. He hadn’t gone out without being recognized or used by other influences in so long. It felt so nice to just be Liam for a night, and not “Liam Dunbar: Internet’s Favourite Boyfriend” or “Liam Dunbar: One Half of Loey”. He just let loose, enjoying himself.

Kira did a sweet rendition of _Teenage Dream_ , Malia did a terrifyingly good rendition of _Baracuda_ by Heart, and Mason and Corey did a disgustingly cheesy version of _Baby, It’s Cold Outside_. By the time Liam’s turn rolled around, he was more than ready to let lose.

“I f-freaking love this song!” Liam slurs, holding his drink up in the air while he moves his hips in a small, circular motion.

“We know, Li, you chose it.” Mason giggles, nearly hysterically.

“And you’re the one that’s supposed to be singing it,” Corey is not anymore sober than his boyfriend. 

“Oh! You’re right!” Liam puts his drink down and picks the microphone back up, putting the pink sunglasses that Kira had handed him back on his face. “I know I’ve got a big ego, I really don’t know why it’s such a big deal though!”

Liam bopped along, doing a terrible job of keeping time if you asked Liam. He was tipsy, and silly, and he was doing a song by Marina and the Diamonds… Really? Theo couldn’t help but laugh throughout the entire performance, whether it was the song choice, the “costume”, the terrible dancing, or a mix of all three he was unsure.

Liam ended his song to thunderous applause. At least the clapping of five people sounded thunderous to him while coming down from his “post-performance high”. 

“C’mon, Theo! You gotta do one now!” Corey cheered, pumping a fist in the air.

Theo shook his head, using his hand to wave Corey off. “I think that I’m far too sober for that, Core.”

“You gotta,” Mason reasons, trying to make a serious face, “it’s non-negotiable.”

Theo rolls his eyes, standing up and taking the microphone offered to him by Liam. “Whatever you say, Mr. Lawyer.”

“What song do you want?” Malia asks, looking up from the karaoke machine.

Theo looks around the room, his eyes observant as if taking stock. He makes eye contact with Kira and raises an eyebrow, she sends a smile in response. Sending a wink Kira’s way, he turns back to Malia. “Most of you aren’t going to remember this tomorrow morning anyway, so give me some Abba.”

Malia snorts, typing into the machine, “good idea.”

Theo turns around to face the screen, and he puts the hand not holding his microphone on his hip. He bounces up and down, turning dramatically when the singing starts. The song ends up being _Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!_ and Theo is all dramatic eye contact and silly hip movements as he dances around the room. Based solely on the look on Kira’s face, shock and amusement all at once, Liam can tell that Theo is usually nothing like this. 

When the song comes to an end, Theo smiles at Kira when he puts the microphone back on its stand, “now let’s see if anyone believes you tomorrow.”

Kira gasps, scandalized, jokingly glaring Theo’s way. “I should have filmed that. That wasn’t Theo, that was Donna from Mamma Mia possessing your body.”

Theo chuckles, sitting back down next to Liam on the couch. Liam looks over at Theo, smiling. Theo is tan, and he has really nice green eyes that Liam can almost swear that he’s seen before. He has a ~~really cute~~ mole on his cheek, and his teeth are like crazy white. Like Liam is pretty sure he’s never seen teeth that perfect before and he works in an industry that can lean towards appearance in terms of the most important qualification. Theo is really attractive, but Liam knows that that’s not something he should be thinking about. He realizes then that he’s been staring, and his face goes beet red. 

“I’m gonna get another drink.” He gets up and walks out, heading towards the bar.

The rest of the night flies by in a blur of drinking, bad singing, and overdramatic/scandalous dance moves. Everyone takes another turn except Theo, who says that he is _definitely _way too sober to do it twice.__

__They end up laughing and joking until 2am, and Liam is having a blast feeling loopy and light. Corey, being ever so slightly more sober than Mason at this point, is the first to get up, saying that it’s probably time for them to go._ _

__Corey makes his way around the room, hugging everyone goodbye. Mason is less dainty, tripping into Liam’s goodbye hug._ _

__“You guys are getting an uber, right?” Theo’s voice is serious, and his face matches the tone._ _

__“Yes, dad. It should be here any minute now,” Corey responds with an eyeroll._ _

__“Alright, I’ll see you guys soon. Drink some water before you go to sleep, and put some Advil on the bedside table so it’s there in the morning.”_ _

__“Alright,” Corey’s voice still sounds annoyed, but the smile on his face betrays him, “give Maggie a kiss for me.”_ _

__“Will do.”_ _

__Next is Kira and Malia, who are both safe to get home thanks to Kira’s status as the sober designated driver. “We’ll see you guys around!”_ _

__When it’s just the two of them left in the room, Theo turns to Liam, his face soft with patience. “Did you drive here?”_ _

__“Uh-hmm,” Liam humms an affirmation, swaying back and forth while flopping his head every which way._ _

__“C’mon,” Theo grabs Liam’s hand to pull him into a standing position, and there goes Liam’s stupid pounding hearbeat again. “I’ll drive you home.”_ _

__“But what about my car?”_ _

__“Come back for it tomorrow.”_ _

__Liam lets Theo lead him out and heard him into the passenger seat of a blue pickup truck. The door is kind of high, and he needs to grab Theo’s shoulder to get in without tipping over. He lazily shut the door afterward and fumbles with his seatbelt._ _

__When Theo comes around the other side, climbing in the driver’s seat, he stares at Liam for a moment. “Need help with that?”_ _

__Liam furrows his brow, looking from Theo to the seatbelt in his hand, “yeah, I think that would be good.”_ _

__Theo chuckles, swiftly buckling Liam in._ _

__“How do I know you’re not kidnapping me?” Liam badgers, scrunching his nose._ _

__“Trust me, I have my hands full as it is, I don’t need ‘kidnaper’ on my resume too,” Theo jokes. “So where do you live?”_ _

__Liam guides Theo to his house the best that he can given his state. He does end up accidentally leading Theo to his old high school at one point. Then he ends up telling him to take four right turns in a row, but eventually, Liam describes the area enough so that Theo gets the gist._ _

__“So why didn’t you drink?” Liam wonders out loud, looking out the window._ _

__“Couldn’t, I had to drive and I have responsibilities at home,” Theo sounds nonchalant and Liam’s glad, he tends to be a little too blunt when drunk._ _

__“I don’t know anything about her, but whoever this Maggie is must be a buzzkill if she won’t let you get drunk.”_ _

__Theo laughs loudly as if he had been caught off guard, looking out the front window before looking back at Liam. His eyebrows are high on his face, arched, and Liam would be sure that this would be the part where he was too blunt if it hadn’t been for the visible amusement there too. Liam had misinterpreted Theo’s expression for offense initially, but it now seemed more like he was impressed. “Maggie’s anything but a buzzkill.” Theo laughs again, as if completely surprised that Liam would even suggest it, “she’s my kid, Liam.”_ _

__Liam’s eyebrows raise and his jaw drops, “oh my God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you or anything.”_ _

__Theo laughs again, and Liam feels relief return to him when he can see the lack of contempt on Theo’s face. “Don’t worry about it, not offended at all, it was an honest mistake.”_ _

__Liam opens his mouth to say more but realizes the car has come to a stop, looking out the window to see his own house. He looks back at Theo to smile, unlocking the truck’s door with his thumb. “Thanks for driving me home.”_ _

__“No problem, really.” Theo shrugs but returns Liam’s smile._ _

__“Forgive me on Maggie’s behalf,” Liam wobbles as he steps down from the truck, “hopefully I’ll see you around.”_ _

__“Hopefully you will.”_ _

__Liam’s legs are unsteady and untrustworthy as he makes the trek to his front door, but he makes it there eventually, slow and steady. His hands shake slightly from the chill when he reaches for his keys, and he fumbles with the lock of his front door. It takes him a minute before he finally gets it unlocked, and he turns around to wave Theo goodbye. Theo waves back, a wide smile on his face, and he starts the truck to leave when Liam steps into his house. Liam doesn’t look out the window once he’s walked in, but he hears the faint sound of an engine growing further and further away, until he can no longer hear it at all._ _


	4. Not afraid of hard work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam wakes up, hungover and hungry, and decides to visit Mason at work.

Liam’s head is pounding so hard that the mere echo of his thoughts causes him to groan in pain. He cracks his eyes, the morning sun diluted by the grey sky. Thank God for the weary winter skies that never reached maximum brightness. The last thing that he needed was any extra light. Liam sits up, still wrapped up in his blanket, and he reaches for his phone. Next to it on the nightstand is a glass of water and a bottle of Advil. He reaches for both as if they are the last shreds of food and he has been starving for weeks. 

He scrolls through his phone, most notifications being engagement on his LA series. There’s a text from Jenna telling him that she bought him breakfast and left it in the fridge. It’s ten am, and he knows that he should be getting up, but instead he lays back down, falling back to sleep.

His ringtone is the first thing he processes when he wakes up, and he answers it out of instinct and the assumption that it’s his agent or a brand correspondent. 

“Hey baby!”

Liam bolts upright, suddenly wide awake. “Hey Joey! How’s the vaycay?”

“It’s been busy, between playing older brother and doing shoots for the brand deal I haven’t had much time for myself,” Joey sighs dreamily, “how’s it been being home?”

“It’s been bleak honestly,” Liam laughs, “somehow still less grim than I expected, though.” 

Joey hums absentmindedly, “that’s nice. I saw that you liked JodieJourneys’ bikini pictures from her Greece vacation.”

“Yeah,” Liam agrees, confusion evident in his voice, “Jodie and I are friends, remember? I made her a personalized guide for her Greece trip.” 

“Yeah, I definitely understand that.” Joey is being sincere, and Liam can almost understand where he’s coming from. “I just don’t think that it’s the best look for us right now, you know? I’m on vacation without you, and I managed to curb the rumours about that, but liking Jodie’s thirst trap might spark more. I just don’t want people thinking we broke up or anything.”

“Oh.” Liam shifts, it’s audible over the phone, and he takes a moment to consider his words. “Well, I didn’t really see it as a thirst trap, but if you want you and I could do something cutesy to get Loey trending. Would that make you feel better?”

Joey breathes out a sigh of relief, “that would make me feel a lot better. It’s just hard to deal with all of the rumours and stuff. People are willing to say anything about you since you’re bi.”

Liam huffs out a noise of disbelief, “I thought we were over this.”

“We are!” Joey assures. “I swear we are, Li. I promise you that I’m doing my hardest to shed the harmful views I’ve had in the past, I just don’t want people projecting their stereotypes onto you, baby.”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions.” 

“It’s alright, baby.” Liam can hear background voices on Joey’s end, shouting and laughter. “Just remember that we signed that contract for the clothing company sponsorship, alright? We should try to do that cutesy plan of yours before then.”

“Alright,” Liam sighs, “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you babe!” More noise rings out, louder now. Liam can only assume that Joey’s moved closer to the source. “I gotta go, Li, the teenieboppers are getting restless, I gotta take them for their daily walk.”

Liam laughs when he hears protesting and yelling, and what he can only assume was a pillow hurled at Joey. 

“Alright, tell Jay and Jules that I say hi.”

“Alright, love you, babe!”

“Love you t-” Liam is cut off by the dial tone, looking down to see that Joey had ended the call.

He opens Twitter, looking through his feed and liking some tweets from his friends. A lot of influencers like to put up some sort of ‘quirky’ and ‘relatable’ act, even after the point where they have lost their relatable qualities. Liam didn’t consider himself much like them. He would never deny his privilege in order to seem more relatable. He knows that he’s lucky, and ignoring that just makes things harder for people who are in places of disprivilege. He is, however, actually someone who loves to interact with his friends. They may mostly be teenagers, and while some of the more obsessive fans do sometimes bother him, the others interact with him the same way that he once interacted with his favourite creators. He could tweet something absolutely random and could basically guarantee at least a dozen hilarious shitpost-esque memes would be the top replies. The internet could be pretty hilarious, and he would never be too pretentious to admit that.

His love of the random shit that goes in the replies of his tweets always made the PR part so much harder. So many people are willing to be random and completely themselves when they interact with him, and he always wanted to convey the same genuine humanness. Being an influencer is sadly a lot more than just expressing his opinion on ramen flavours or whether _Die Hard_ is a Christmas movie or not. He had brand deals and reputations to upkeep, so every once in a while he did have to tweet something cookie-cutter, or not like a meme even though he found it super funny. This was one of those times.

‘ **@Liamlytical: Been away from Joey for like 48 hours, I think I’m having withdrawals. @JoeysWorld come back before the cold chills start :(** ‘

Liam feels a pang in his chest. He does miss Joey, of course he would miss his fiance, but it never feels right when he has to do damage control on his own relationship only to make sure they’re still brandable. The capitalization of his relationship may be the least genuine facet of his career. Liam loves Joey, but he has never felt the need to publicly address speculations about the two of them. He would be perfectly happy if he could love Joey in private and just ignore every rumour that comes up, but Joey insists that they address the public. 

Liam has to close Twitter after sending out his tweet. He can’t really laugh at the memes about them being inseparable if most of it is just for show. The two of them have never been codependent when it comes to their private lives, but their public image was a stark contrast.

Liam stifles a groan and mutes his notifications, getting up to shower. His headache is mostly gone, the Advil having done its magic when he went back to sleep. He is hungry though, and that’s confirmed by the grumbling of his stomach when he steps out of the shower, the steam fogging up the mirror. 

He didn’t really have any plans for the day, so he phones Mason while he sits, wet and dripping, on his desk chair. 

“Hey Liam, how’s the hangover?” Mason is far too cheerful for someone that had definitely drank more than Liam the night before.

“Fine, actually,” Liam laughs, “are you in the firm today?”

“Yeah, but you can come eat lunch with me if you’d like.”

“Lunch?” Liam pulls the phone away from his ear to check the time, it’s nearly two o’clock. “Yeah, sure. I’ll bring bagels and salad from Sam’s?”

“That sounds amazing,” Liam can almost hear Mason’s smile, “I’ll see you soon, Li.”

“Alright, see you soon, Mase.”

Liam finishes drying his hair, curiously clicking the play button on his old CD player while he looks for clothes. Unsurprisingly, it’s a Fall Out Boy CD, and Liam is quickly reminded of the overdramatic phase of teenage angst he had gone through in the eleventh grade. He doesn’t take long to choose his clothes: a casual blue hoodie and a pair of black jeans, but he can’t bring himself to leave until _I’m Like A Lawyer_ is over. _Old habits die hard._

Sam’s is one place that Liam’s glad has never changed. Sam’s daughter runs it now, but Sam is still behind the counter, heckling Sara about her kneading technique and obsessively rechecking the temperature of the water being used in the recipe.

Liam smiles, wide and charming, sending a wink Sara’s way. She had a crush on him when they were in middle school, and it grew to be an inside joke between the two of them when they became friends in high school. 

“Hey, Hot Stuff. You haven’t been around these parts in years,” she grins back at him, looking him up and down. “Wow, you’re not scrawny and mad anymore, Dunbar.”

“Hey, you liked me when I was scrawny and mad.”

Sara groans jokingly, rubbing her eyes, “don’t remind me.”

Liam laughs, shaking his head.

“Alright, what do you want Mr. I-Ditched-My-Hometown?” Sara tosses the dish towel that had been in her hand onto the counter, walking up to the register. 

“Could I get a poppy-seed bagel with half-fat cream cheese, and an everything bagel with butter and cheese?” 

“Sure thing,” Sara nods, “visiting Mason?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?” Liam tilts his head to the side.

“His order never changes,” Sara laughs, “Consider the latte and your cappuccino on the house.”

Liam smiles, “thanks, Sara.”

Liam opens his phone, going off to the side to wait. The bell above the door rings, and Liam hears a familiar voice. 

“Hey, Sara. Any chance you have any sandwiches that are already made? I gotta get Maggie back to school, she’ll kill me if I make her miss show and tell.” 

“For sure, I made one for my lunch, but I’m here all day so I could just make another, let me get it from the fridge in the back.”

Liam isn’t proud to admit that he’s staring. Theo is rocking back and forth in place, the anxious tap of his fingers giving away his urgency. Sara is back as quickly as she had gone, and she hands Theo a ham and cheese on a croissant wrapped in cellophane.

“I owe you, thank you so much!” Theo puts a ten dollar bill on the counter and slips another in the tip jar.

Liam’s head snaps back to his phone when Theo rushes out, seemingly not even noticing him. 

“Liam, your order’s ready.” Sara places a paper bag on the counter next to a tray of drinks. 

“Thanks Sara!” Liam sways so that he can see behind her, “Bye Sam!”

“Bye, Liam! It was good seeing you back in Beacon Hills.”

Liam smiles and nods before leaving, his food and drinks in hand. It is only then, his hands full and walking down the sidewalk, that he remembers the existence of his car. He’ll have to go to the karaoke bar to get it after lunch.

Mason is waiting outside his office when Liam gets there, anticipating his arrival. Mason was close to finishing law school, and he had managed to get a paid internship at a huge law firm that promised they would hire him full-time once he completed his degree. It was strange to think of themselves as so grown up, and Liam is proud that Mason put in all the work to become a lawyer. He had only done a bachelor's degree, and couldn’t even begin to think about how much work Mason has put in.

He envelopes his best friend in a hug, and the two of them walk into the small office to sit. There’s stacks upon stacks of paperwork all around the desk, and more piling up on bookshelves around the room. Mason had once divulged that although most of the books looked fancy, a lot of them were just contemporary novels with the sleeves of older books on them. Liam had laughed, but it’s ideas like those that always described Mason in his eyes. He was always finding creative ways of solving problems.

“So, how’s your day been so far?” Liam asks, draping one leg over the other in the chair opposite Mason’s desk. Mason takes a seat in his own office chair, scooting it until the desk is no longer acting as a barrier between them.

“Uneventful,” Mason shrugs, taking a sip of his latte. “Woke up hungover, but Corey took care of me. I’ve been doing some finalizing paperwork about a lawsuit since I got here.”

“Sounds like a blast,” Liam responds, cheerful to the point of sarcasm.

“So much, I just love doing four hours of paperwork.” Mason rolls his eyes. “So, what are your plans?”

“Not really sure, honestly. I don’t have any plans but I feel like I should be doing something.” 

“Hmm.” Mason looks thoughtful for a moment, “what if you did one of your mini-series here? You could do, like, a ‘Hometown History’ kind of thing. ’m sure your followers would love that, and it would give you something to do.”

Liam’s eyes light up, and he nods eagerly, “I never once thought about that. That’s a great idea.” 

“Yeah, you know? I’m full of great ideas.”

Liam snorts, “shut up, don’t make me take it back.”

“Alright, alright,” Mason relents, “but I’m not wrong.”

“You’re not,” Liam agrees. He zones out for a second, staring at nothing in particular on Mason’s desk. “The bookstore.”

“Huh?”

“I could start with that old bookstore, the one we used to go to in high school,” Liam looks up at Mason. “I walked past it yesterday, it was remodelled and everything.”

Mason has an indistinguishable look on his face. Given that they’ve known each other for two decades, Liam is stumped at what could have possibly warranted an expression that even he can’t decode. 

“Yeah, that’s a start.”

“Yeah…” Liam trails of, hesitancy in his voice. 

The two of them eat in a comfortable silence, mostly, but Liam can still feel the weight of whatever it was that made Mason act so weird. Mason tells this story about one of Corey’s students who made Corey a portrait made out of macaroni. The punchline being that the student didn’t completely understand the concept of macaroni art, and neither did his mom, so the portrait wound up being made out of cooked macaroni. Liam shared a story about Jaylen and Julianna wrapping everything in Joey’s house in tinfoil when he was away for the weekend. They share laughs, and time passes in the blink of an eye.

Mason flips his phone, checking the time. “I better get back to work, Li. Text me later. I’m off on the weekend, so maybe you, me, and Corey can hang out.”

“Sounds good, I’ll keep you updated on what I do with your amazing idea.”

Mason laughs, pulling Liam in for a hug. 

Liam grabs his cappuccino when they pull away, and is nearly out the door when he remembers something. 

“Hey, thank Corey for getting me home last night. I don’t know why I brought my car instead of taking an uber.”

Mason furrows his brow, tilting his head slightly. “Liam, Corey didn’t drive you home last night.”

“He didn’t?”

“No, Corey and I took an uber home.”

“Oh.” Liam scratches his head, “alright, well, I guess I’ll talk to you later. Say hi to Corey for me.”

“Will do. See you, Li.”

Liam walks out, searching his jacket pockets for the key to his car. He remembers that he definitely got a drive home, but the rest is foggy. He had assumed that Corey was playing into his usual mother-hen nature. It’s then that Liam spots the post-it taped to his keychain. A string of numbers written on it, a message written above: ‘ _Call me if you need someone to drive you back to your car_ ’. Below the phone number, in the bottom right corner is a name, signed much neater than the rest of the note: ‘ _-Theo_ ’.


	5. The secrets we keep mean more than we think

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam, having finally created a rough outline of his Hometown History series, makes his way back to the bookstore that he had almost entered on his first day back in town.

_Places:  
\- Ernest and Edith’s bookstore  
\- Beacon Hills War Memorial  
\- Sam’s coffee  
\- Beacon Hills publishing  
\- ~~The hospital?~~  
\- ~~The preserve?~~_

Liam had developed a list of possible places to research for his little Hometown History series. He still wasn’t too sure about the name, but he couldn’t think one up for the life of him, and four crumpled sheets of paper with unfavourable names were strewn across his room in an attempt to get them in his garbage bin. 

It had been a few days since his lunch with Mason. He had mostly spent time around the house with his parents, occasionally going out for coffee or groceries so he could make them some dishes he learned to cook abroad. Most of them were from his and Jodie’s upcoming book, _Packing Peanuts_. It had been a work in progress for a few months, and he was more than a little excited to announce it in April, a month before its release. 

He was pretty much ready to start his Beacon Hills series, and he had luckily brought a camera along with him, though not the greatest quality. Usually, he traveled with another one of his friends, Roman, a professional photographer. Maybe the slightly lower quality photos would give it a homey feeling, but he’d still send them to an editor before he dared to post any of them to his Instagram. 

He didn’t end up calling Theo, or texting him, but he did spend an unruly amount of time trying to justify why the thought of doing either made his heart beat so quickly. Instead, he did what he does best and pushed it to the back of his mind. 

This list of places, although possibly unfinished ( _should he make it a mini-series or go for the full eight? Are some of the places too grim for a feature?_ ), is what leads him to Sam’s, picking up his usual cappuccino as well as a dozen assorted doughnuts as an offering to the bookshop’s new owners. 

It always felt so cold in BH when comparedred to LA, but it seems milder now that Liam’s back and he's no longer pulling from memories. He’s just wearing a t-shirt, flannel, and jeans, a light coat overtop. He feels almost giddy when he sees the green door, a stark contrast to his previous almost-visit to the bookshop. 

He grabs the door handle and swings it open, nearly knocking into someone as soon as he enters. He stands there a moment, stunned into silence, before stammering out an apology. “Sorry! I didn’t see you there!” 

He’s met with a warm smile in response, and he suddenly feels all the more comfortable compared to moments before. “It’s totally fine, don’t worry about it, Liam.” 

Liam smiles back, “thanks.” 

They stand there awkwardly, Liam swaying in the doorway. 

“What-” 

“I-” 

Theo laughs, “you go first.” 

“Were you on your way out? I could like, move out of your way.” 

Theo laughs again, a sweet, brief sound. “I was, I have to pick up Maggie from school, but you’re more than welcome to take a look around as long as you don’t let anyone else in.”

“Let anyone else in?” Liam furrows his brow, looking around. It’s only then that he notices the green apron, embroidered with vines and wildflowers, and the name tag tacked to it. “Oh! You work here?” 

“You could say that,” Theo grins a little, nodding. 

“Would you be alright with me looking around while you were gone?” Liam asks. 

“For sure, just don’t open the door, alright? I’ll put the ‘back in five’ sign up.” 

Liam nods enthusiastically, waving when Theo leaves. 

Liam places the doughnut box on the front counter, his coffee alongside it. He backs up until he back is to the counter, finally taking in the entire store. Despite the slight chill outside, it seems like the sun has worked magic on the interior. There are flowers of all varieties, a vase on every table, and some that even hang from the ceiling, overflowing with vines and moss. 

There’s much more light than there had been before. Ernest and Edith had decorated it nicely, but when they owned it they had sort of a gothic vibe going on. It had been dark, and they had old couches that seemed like they could have been from Victorian times. This was much different, but just as beautiful. 

Liam started with the aisle that he was standing closest to: graphic novels. As a snot-nosed teenager, he would come in here and read comics for hours, sitting in one of the old chairs that creaked every time he laughed or adjusted his position. It overflowed with books, some older, protected with plastic, others newer. He hadn’t read too many comics since his teenage years, but he still had his old ones in hopes that he could give them to his kid one day. 

Next was the young adult section, overflowing with displays. Here, the flowers in most of the vases were pink, and Liam could appreciate the symbolism. Though certainly no Dickenson, he had done some research on flower symbolism on a trip to Europe. 

Speaking of Dickinson, the next section was classics. Everything was neatly organized, and this section seemed to strike him as more classy than the other two had been. 

In romance, there are two dozen roses, but that’s not what strikes Liam the most. What strikes him is the framed photo of a woman that he recognizes, an engravement just below it. The woman’s skin is dark, her hair coily and long. She’s smiling, a field behind her and a sunflower in her hand. Maybe it’s the resemblance, or maybe it’s the fact that he could remember all those stories that Edith would tell him about her and Ernest leaving the Caribbean for California, but Liam comes to the realization that the woman is Ophelia, Ernest and Edith’s daughter. She had been two or three years ahead of him in school, but he used to see her around sometimes. Underneath the photo, a quote: _”All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us”_. 

Liam doesn't have time to contemplate the quote, or consider the daffodils below the frame before he hears the door re-open, and he makes an attempt to act casual. He is hidden from view in his position, so he calmly makes his way to the front door. 

Theo is there, a little girl, about five or six, in his arms. Theo smiles when he catches sight of Liam before placing his daughter on the counter so she can sit. 

Liam is once again stunned speechless when he catches sight of Maggie, but he tries to play it off. Curly hair, brown skin, and Theo’s green eyes, shining brightly with joy that only a child could possess. Other than her eyes, she doesn’t much resemble him at all, and she would be a near spitting image of her mother if it weren’t for the difference in their complexions. 

“Maggie?” Theo says, his voice more high pitched than it had been when he was speaking to Liam earlier. 

Maggie looks at her father, a silly, lopsided smile on her face. “Daddy?” 

Theo laughs, “this is my friend Liam, do you want to say hi?” 

_“Not really.”_

Theo gasps jokingly, “don’t be rude! Say hello.” 

Maggie looks over in Liam’s direction, waving fast. “Hi, Liam!” 

Liam can’t help but laugh, waving back in an attempt to meet her levels of enthusiasm. “Hi, Maggie! It’s very nice to meet you!” 

“It’s nice to meet you t-” Maggie gasps, her eyes going as wide as a saucer, “are those doughnuts?” 

Liam laughs again, walking closer to them so he can open the box, “they are, I brought them for you and your dad.” 

“Daddy! Can I have one?” Maggie asks, Theo catching her just in time when she jumps off the counter. He bounces her on his hip. 

“Hmm..” Theo acts as if he is facing a tough decision. 

“Please daddy?” Maggie puts on puppy dog eyes that Liam is certain he would have given in to right away. 

Theo laughs, “fine, but if you have a doughnut then I expect you to eat your vegetables tonight, okay?” 

“Deal!” Maggie agrees, letting Theo put her back on the counter as he grabs a napkin from the other side of it, putting a sprinkled doughnut in it. He hands the doughnut to Maggie, a stern look on his face. 

“Now Maggie, when you’re done you’re gonna wash your hands and do your reading for school, right?” 

Maggie mimics her father’s earlier actions, acting as if she were deep in thought and rubbing her chin to play it up.” 

“Margaret Michelle Raek-” 

“Fine! But can we play Kirby later?” 

“If you finish your homework and eat your veggies, then we can do whatever you want later, kiddo.” Theo smiles before picking Maggie up again, she squeezes in an attempt to give him a hug, obscured by the doughnut in her hand. Theo places her down and watches as she picks up her backpack and goes off into one of the back rooms, one that Liam had remembered had once acted as a study space for students who couldn’t study at home or worked in the area. 

“So, find anything you want?” Theo asks when Maggie is out of ear-shot. 

Liam grinds his teeth in a moment of thoughtfulness, “no, actually, that’s not why I’m here.”  
Theo’s brow furrows ever so slightly, and he crosses his arms over his chest. “Oh, so what brings you here?” 

“Well, I actually didn’t know that you worked here,” Liam begins, leaning back on the counter. “Mason suggested doing one of my history series while I’m here, and I noticed the changes made to this place when I was walking by a few days ago.” It’s then that Liam is finally struck with the realization of why Theo has appeared so familiar to him at dinner. The stranger on the other side of the glass had been him, doing his work in the updated bookshop. 

“Oh.” 

“Yeah, so I was wondering if the owner of this place could help me with one of the destinations for the series. It could bring a lot of new shoppers and I’m sure people would love to know the history of-” 

“I don’t think so.” 

“Thanks, I- Wait, what?” Liam stops, looking at Theo with wide eyes. 

“I don’t really think that broadcasting the history of this place would be a good idea.” 

“Really? I totally get that, but couldn’t you ask Edith and Ernest?” 

“They don’t own the shop anymore.” 

“Oh,” Liam replies, feeling a little dejected. He looks at his hands and sways on his feet, a nervous habit he had developed for awkward conversations like the one this had turned into. “Alright, well, thanks for letting me stick around." 

“You could join us for dinner if you’d like, we don’t live very far.” Theo offers, trying to salvage the previous tone. 

“Thanks for the offer, but uh, I think my parents are expecting me home for dinner,” Liam deflects, walking over to the door. 

“Oh, okay. I’ll see you around then.” 

“Yeah,” Liam nods once, opening the door. “Thanks for dropping me off the other day, I appreciate it.” 

Theo hums some sort of non-committal “no problem”, and Liam is out the door, the sun having set since he first entered, forcing his cold hands into the pockets of his jacket. He pops his headphones in, humming along as he starts walking back home. He is left enough with his thoughts, only the faint sounds of some obscure indie-folk song periodically interrupting them. He is left to wonder who had taken over the bookstore, and what had forced them into such privacy. Could it be Ophelia, or had the picture been symbolic of what he had originally expected? There was no doubt that Maggie was Ophelia’s daughter, they share identical features, but Maggie seems to have inherited some snark from Theo. 

Liam pulls a sheet of paper from his pocket, unfolding it to look down at the list of locations. Three places aren’t enough for a mini-series, so it would have to be back to the drawing board. At least he could follow Jenna to work tomorrow to interview the head of the publishing agency. Or maybe he’d have to scrap the series altogether. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason, it always rubs me the wrong way when I see a Black character described as 'dark', but it's so much worse when people use food to describe skin colour ( _the number of times I've been described as 'caramel' or 'mocha' is mortifying_ ), so sorry if that makes anyone else uncomfortable! I couldn't really think of another way to get the point across.


	6. A whole new world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With his mini-series cracking at the edges, Liam seeks the help of David and Jenna to help him come up with a place to add to his list.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it's kinda short! I've been trying to work on writing longer fics, but 5 pages always seem like more when they're in a google doc.

“Hey, mom?” Liam speaks up during dinner, playing with the pasta on his plate with his fork. 

“Yes, darling?”

“Could you help me with a series?”

Jenna raises an eyebrow, a small smile on her face. “Absolutely, is it your tropical series?”

Liam shakes his head, a knowing grin on his face. His mom enjoyed traveling with him when she could, and he tried to take her on trips as often as possible. As an author, she could usually just pack up her things and go; as long as she had her laptop, she could write just about anywhere. In the last few months, Jenna had been in the editing process of her soon-to-be-released novel, and editing was a process that required a lot more collaboration and Jenna was disappointed, to say the least, that the process demanded that she stay-put. “It’s not about the tropical series. I’m actually going to do a mini-series on Beacon Hills, Mason suggested it.”

“Oh, really?” David speaks up, curiosity in his voice. He twirls his pasta with his fork absentmindedly, tapping the table lightly with his unused hand in anticipation. “That sounds really interesting, Li. What are your plans for it? I’ve still got that fancy camera that I use for our camping trips.”

“Well, I have three locations right now, but I kinda need a fourth.” Liam scratches the back of his neck, gently scratching his fingers through the hair at his nape. He looks down at the table, abandoning his fork altogether. “And I would love that, dad. Would you want to join me at the locations to take the photos?”

David develops a giddy expression, nodding quickly. “I’d love that, Liam. You sure it wouldn’t ruin your aesthetic or something?” David laughs, teasing his step-son.

“Not at all. I think it would be super cool to have pictures you took on my Instagram and my blog, it would be an honour.”

David grins, genuine and heartfelt. “Thank you, son.”

Jenna smiles, looking between the two of them before settling her gaze on Liam. She takes a sip of her diet coke before clearing her throat, the smile quickly returning. “So, what locations?”

“Alright, so, this is what I’m gonna need your help with.” Jenna had always been creative, and she always had the ideas that Liam and David couldn’t come up with themselves. Hell, Jenna had done most of Liam’s school projects for him in elementary school ( _though she would force him to glue part of it, or sign it with his name to ensure that “he had still put in the work_ ). Surely, if anybody had the ideas that could pull him out of his creative slump, it would be his mother. “I’m going to do Sam’s place, the war memorial, and the publishing centre. I’ll have to come in and shadow you for a day if you don’t mind.”

Jenna grins, “of course I wouldn’t mind. Maybe I’ll finally get to take you through my workday. I hold a grudge that you chose David over me for take-your-kid-to-work-day.”

Liam and David both laugh, their food mostly abandoned or finished. “What did you expect? That was before he moved to the slow lane and became a family doctor. The ER sounded much more exciting to 13-year-old Liam than sitting in an office did.”

“Fair enough, fair enough.”

Liam takes a sip from his water before continuing, looking around to notice he is the only one to not have finished his food. “I also need your help on one other thing. I can’t really do a mini-series with three locations, so do you guys think you could help me think of another?”

“Well,” David starts, “are you only doing tourist-y locations, or would you want to do a spotlight?”

“I think I’m okay with including some spotlights, the war memorial and Sam’s place are tourist-y, right?”

“Yeah, I think those two are good,” Jenna agrees. “Well, what about Hale Manor?”

“Hale manor?”

“Yeah, you know, Derek Hale?”

Liam still looks confused, his brow furrowed. He tries to recall the name, while familiar, nothing comes to him. He remembers brief glimpses of people mentioning it in high school, and maybe he read something about it in the paper. 

“Derek Hale, his sister Cora, and his uncle Peter are the only surviving members of their family. There was a huge fire at their house, Peter was the one to make it out, Cora and Derek weren’t home.” Jenna has a look of grief on her face, her mouth downturned in a visual frown. She’s looking down at her glass, now empty, as if she can see something reflected in it.

David hums a sound that reminds Liam of corroboration. “I remember that night, I was still working in the ER. There were a lot of people in that house, a lot of kids.”

Jenna inhales a deep breath, looking back up at Liam who can now see the intensity in her eyes. “It was arson, somebody lit the fire.”

Liam brings his hand up to his mouth, shocked that something so dark could have happened in Beacon Hills without him ever hearing stories about it. “That’s terrible.”

“It was. It was horrible,” Jenna nods solemnly. “Derek and Cora were adopted by their uncle, and they went through a really hard time. Derek got arrested a few times, and Cora was found by the police sobbing in the cold, out in front of the house.” 

Jenna reaches for David’s glass, which still has ginger ale in it, and takes a sip. He smiles, but still rolls his eyes jokingly as she forgoes his permission. 

“It was a horrible thing, and they never found out who started the fire, but eventually Derek turned eighteen, and he inherited a lot of money.”

“ _A lot_.”

Jenna jokingly swats at Derek’s hand. “Derek used the money to create a house in place of the old Hale house that was even bigger, and much more friendly. After that, he opened a long-term shelter for orphaned and endangered teens. When she turned eighteen, Cora moved to South America to do the same with her money.”

Realization dawns on Liam, and it’s visible in his wide eyes. He finally remembers the context in which people would talk about Hale Manor in high school. Isaac, Scott’s boyfriend, had ended up in Hale Manor when the school found out about his father’s abuse. Liam remembers Isaac talking about it with fondness, Derek was nice, though a little distant, and accommodating for the needs of everyone who lived there. Erica and Boyd, other friends of Scott’s, had lived there too, and Corey wound up there in his senior year because his parents’ neglect had led him to make some unwise decisions. “That- that sounds like the perfect place to do a spotlight about.”

Jenna smiles, nodding, “I’m glad you think so. Derek has sort of a dry personality, but he’s nice, and I’m sure he would love to spread the word to more at-risk teens around the area.” 

David laughs, “dry personality? Do you think that’s genetic?”

Jenna offers a wry smile, “Don’t even get me started, I could barely hold a conversation with Talia on my best days. That woman was too witty for her own good.”

“You knew someone in the fire?” Liam asks, looking at David and Jenna.

“Derek’s mother, Talia. She was an abundantly giving woman, but also a bit of a firecracker,” Jenna confirms.

“Oh.” Liam isn’t sure how to respond. It is very sad that a friend of his mother’s had passed away, so tragically nonetheless, but from the sounds of it, she had mostly healed. Although, grief is never black and white, and healing sometimes never comes. Instead of adding to the silence of the room, which is not necessarily uncomfortable, but heavy, Liam gets up, stacking his parents’ plates under his. “I’ll do the dishes.”

“Why thank you, Darling,” Jenna responds, rising from her chair to help Liam by bringing the glasses to the sink. 

“I think you’re mother and I are gonna take a little drive, do you need anything while we’re out?” David asks from the doorway of the kitchen.

“Nope, all good.”

Just as the two of them are about to walk out, Liam remembers another question he was going to ask them. “Guys?”

They both turn around, Jenna slightly in front of David. 

“Do you guys know anything about the new owner of Ernest and Edith’s bookshop?”

David winces, visibly trying to hide the pained look on his face. He nods slowly, but puts one hand up, shaking it to convey uncertainty. “Not much, but enough.”

Liam tilts his head, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Their daughter died, it was a tragedy. She was young, only twenty-two, and she had just had a baby” David elaborates. “There were some articles published about it, but her husband wanted to keep the details private. He is kind of known to be reclusive since her death, but Ernest and Edith gave him the bookstore when they retired.”

Liam nods thoughtfully. “Alright, thanks. Have fun on your drive, but don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Liam can hear Jenna laugh near the front door after she’s walked away, “no promises!”

Curiosity is a natural instinct of human nature. Without it, humans would never ‘discover’ or invent anything, they would never evolve or grow. Curiosity is natural, but it also killed the proverbial cat. Liam felt the expected guilt when an idea initially sprung in his head, an idea that would no-doubt wind up with him having far too much information about a private event. Is it wrong to want to be informed when it’s not your story to tell? 

Liam nearly overflows the sink in his moments of contemplation, turning over the ethics of his plan in his head. Now he knows that Theo is the owner of the bookshop, so hypothetically he could always just swear to secrecy and ask him about it. Liam remembers the roses in the romance section of the bookshop. Not sunflowers, or tulips, or forget-me-nots; Theo chose roses. _Maybe Liam would have no other choice._


	7. A widow, his child, and a taken man walk into a Denny's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam does some apologizing and takes Theo and Maggie out for lunch.

The bouquet looks strange. Very, very strange. Even someone with just a basic concept of colour theory probably would have realized that there was something off about them, especially grouped together so tightly in the brown paper. The florist had looked at him like he was insane at first, she had even offered some alternatives that would appear more aesthetically pleasing. Liam is partial to aesthetics by trade but stubborn by nature. He denied it, specifying that this exact combination was what he needed. Even the types of flowers looked strange together, colour aside: yellow roses, amaranth, eglantine roses, and purple hyacinth. They were all personal favourites of his, though he doesn’t really know enough about flowers to have strong opinions on most of them. They are very pretty though, and it makes his heart flutter every time Joey brings him fresh ones from a local stall on their trips.

He knocks on the green door, realizing that it may not even be open yet. He had left first thing in the morning, ready to make an effort to apologize. He had tossed and turned most of the night, unsure why he was so sleepless and hadn’t even realized how early it was. Tracy, the florist, was still setting up for the day when he had walked in. 

_”You must’ve fucked up with your girlfriend really bad if you’re here this early to buy flowers.”_

_Liam laughed, though he was sure Tracy noticed the worry on his brow. “Not quite a girlfriend, but yeah, I think that I might’ve messed up a little. Accidentally upset a new friend of mine.”_

_“My bad, dude. I’m not homophobic, I swear, I run this place with my girlfriend.”_

_“I certainly appreciate that you’re not homophobic,” Liam snorted, giving her a disbelieving look. “While I am gay, these are really just for a friend. I think he likes flowers.”_

_Tracy smiled, “alright, what can I get for you?”_

Liam had spent a long time figuring out the perfect flowers for the bouquet, he had given up on sleeping at six, and spent the next hour trying to figure out the exact flowers to give Theo. Now, standing outside of the bookstore, unsure if it’s even open, he starts to second-guess his choices. He looks up when the door swings open, revealing a slightly disheveled Theo.

“Hey, Liam. What are you doing here?” Theo furrows his brow, hiding the stressed look that had previously been on his face.

“Hey,” Liam’s voice is breathy, he clears it in order to convey his message. “I think I might have upset you the other day, and that wasn’t my intention. I wanted to bring you these.” Liam lifts his arm, presenting the bouquet in front of him.

Theo’s eyebrows raise to his hairline, taking in the sight. Once he gets over his initial shock, he examines them thoughtfully, slowly taking them from Liam. He looks back up at Liam’s face, his face turning back to a state of surprise following his analysis of the flowers. 

“Thank you, these are beautiful.” Theo smiles, he brings up his other hand to indicate behind him, “come in, I’ll put them in water.” 

Liam nods, following behind Theo, hit by the sudden warmth of the bookstore’s interior. They walk behind the counter until they’re in a back room. Liam had been expecting the old homework room, admittedly, or even maybe a stock room, but instead there’s a small living area with a couch, coffee table, and television. To the right, there’s a kitchen, much bigger than the living room, with a little play area in the corner. There’s a set of stairs between them, going up above the kitchen, that Liam assumes must lead to the apartment that Edith and Ernest used to live in. 

“Daddy! I’m putting on the costume!” Maggie’s shrill voice screams from somewhere up the stairs, a banging following right after. 

Wrinkles appear on Theo’s forehead, and he shakes his head. “Give me a second, Liam.” Theo walks to the base of the stairs, “Mags, it’s eight in the morning, can you come down for breakfast? I promise you we’ll play princess later.”

Maggie appears at the top of her stairs, her arms folded and a grumpy expression on her face. She’s wearing a set of pajamas with snowmen and bears on them, her hair in a hat that Liam recognized to be a bonnet, Joey kept some at their house for nights when Julianna would come over and forget hers. 

“Fine. But can I have french toast?”

Theo smiles, opening his arms to give her a hug as she walks down the stairs, “of course you can have french toast. Your wish is my command.”

Maggie waves at Liam, a smile on her face. “Hi, Liam!”

“Good morning, Maggie.” Liam had never been great with kids, but Maggie seemed to warm up to him.

Theo finally turns to look at Liam, he moves closer, a smirk on his face, “winter break just started. I think I’d pay the school to keep her until Christmas.” When he pulls back, he’s laughing, and Liam realizes that Theo probably loves spending his days with Maggie. “wanna stay for breakfast?” 

Liam grins, “I think that I’m gonna take advantage of the early morning and bring Corey some breakfast. I have to talk to him about something.”

Theo nods, understanding.

“But, I’d also like to invite you and Maggie out for lunch, if the two of you can leave the shop for an hour or two.”

Theo grins, and Maggie jumps up from where she had been sitting on the couch when she hears her name, running over to stand between Liam and Theo. Theo laughs, looking up from Maggie’s puppy dog eyes to agree, “yeah, that would be nice.”

“Alright,” Liam returns Theo’s contagious smile, “how does one sound?”

“Sound great,” Theo’s cheeks flush a light pink and the suddenness of his own response. Liam has to hide his laugh. 

He turns around, reaching for the door, “alright, I’ll be here then. Bye, Theo.” He turns to look at Maggie, more enthusiasm suddenly present, “Bye, Maggie, I’ll see you later!”

“Bye, Liam!” Maggie waves with both hands, a goofy grin on her face.

Liam walks from the door, rounding the counter to leave, and he can’t help the huge smile on his face.

It took Liam a while to get to know Corey back in high school. It seemed like he popped up out of nowhere, suddenly glued to Mason’s hip, and it certainly didn’t help that Corey had been so painfully shy. He finally started opening up when he left his parents and moved in with Derek, and ever since it has been tough to even get a word in around him. He’s still quiet, and he never really likes being the centre of attention, but he’s witty and he has the best comebacks. Corey was honestly the funniest of their friend group, and Liam loved it when the comebacks weren’t directed at him. 

**To: Corey**

**Hey, you free for ten minutes?**

**I could be at the school in less than fifteen**

**And I’ll bring brekky :)**

Liam walks down to Sam’s, glad that they’re open considering Sara’s previous reputation of sleeping in until school was done.

“Seriously? Who invited you here?” Sara laughs when he walks up to the counter.

“Hmm,” Liam takes out his phone, looking at the black screen in mock thoughtfulness. “Looks Like i invited myself.”

Sara giggles, grabbing a cappuccino cup and writing Liam’s name on it with her Sharpie. “Same old, same old?”

“Yup,” Liam nods, “but could I also get an iced chai latte and a breakfast sandwich on a croissant?” 

“Sure, thing,” She pauses for a moment, looking up at Liam from her Sharpie, “going to visit Corey?”

“No way!” Liam raises his brows, his mouth agape, “either you’re a psychic or Mason and Corey are the most boring people alive.”

“I can neither confirm nor deny being a psychic,” Sara winks, “but Corey does usually get a chai latte, it’s his safety drink.”

“Oh God, I’m gonna have to get those two to try something new.”

Sara laughs, “hey, maybe they just like to be classic.”

“Classic?” Liam rolls his eyes, “the two of them have a routine that could be compared to my grandparents’.” 

“Alright, Mr. Hotshot, let me go make your breakfast.”

Liam sends her a cheeky grin, “thanks.”

Liam takes out his phone. He had been using it less over the last few days, so the notifications and emails are piling up. He’ll have to spend the night replying to brands and scrolling through Twitter, but there were worse things he could be doing. The fan accounts on Twitter seem to be going crazy, and while it’s not rare, it is unprompted. 

**@LOEYSWORLD: Joey posted vacay pictures yesterday and Liam didn’t even like them :( are our bbys breaking up?**

**@Joeylytical: If Joey and Liam aren’t endgame then love isn’t real- I don’t make the rules, I just enforce them**

**@JoJosHoHo: I mean… wasn’t it kinda sus that Liam didn’t go with Joey on his trip? All I’m saying is that I predicted their breakup like a week ago**

Liam winces, swiping down his notification centre to see that Joey had in fact posted, and he hadn’t liked or commented. Not to mention the two missed texts from him that he must have sent this morning. As much as Liam knows that he should call Joey, he knows that it won’t be a short conversation and whether he calls now, or later, he’ll still have to make the same apologies. Instead, he closes both apps, putting his phone back in his pocket.

Liam looks up just as Sara puts the two cups and the bag on the counter.

“Thanks, Sara. I’ll probably be back tonight for some late-night coffee, got some gift wrapping to do.”

“Alright, Li. Text me later if you plan on coming and maybe I’ll whip up some menu items from when we were in high-school.”

Liam smiles, “consider me here!”

Liam walks back to the bookshop, having parked his car outside. It has always been a struggle to get parking uptown, walking was always much easier. He unlocks his car and secures the drinks in his cup holder, putting the food in the passenger seat. Before starting his car, he checks his phone again, confirming that Corey would be available for a quick breakfast.

The school brings back a lot of memories, not all of them great, but most of them fond, at least. Liam had been recruited by a fancy university for a lacrosse scholarship straight out of high school, and he didn’t turn back. He left the day after graduation and became a star player while he did his history degree. He considered coming back, especially after his blog started doing better, but something about it made him nervous.

He hates how familiar it feels when he walks through the school doors, some students at their lockers. He walks to the staff room, a semblance of rebellion bubbling in his chest. The first person he makes eye contact with when he opens the door is Mrs. Martin, and he almost has to cover his mouth to stifle a groan. She doesn’t say much to him, just provides a shocked expression and a ‘nice to see you back in town’ before leaving. Probably to do something evil like flunk a kid or kill a puppy. 

“Hey, Liam!” Corey is cheerful, possibly the only person to ever be so cheerful at such an early hour without any coffee.

Liam smiles and extends his hand to give Corey his chai latte. He places the bag on the table, grabbing his bagel and handing Corey his breakfast sandwich. Corey moans at the taste of his latte, his eyes closed before he puts it on the table in front of him.

“As much as I love talking to you, I have to teach a music class filled with a bunch of tired teenagers in like fifteen minutes,” Corey explains, still smiling. “And I’m gonna see you tomorrow, right? You’re coming to hang out with Mason and I?”

“Yeah, for sure. I’ve been looking forward to hanging with you two. I’ll make it quick now,” Liam nods, playing with the sleeve on his cappuccino cup. “Mason told you about that series that he suggested to me, right?”

Corey hums an agreement. 

“I was thinking about doing a spotlight piece for one of them, and I wanted to do Hale Manor.”

Corey almost chokes on his sandwich, but after he takes a sip from his latte he is practically beaming like the sun. “That’s awesome!”

Liam looks visibly relieved, “I’m glad you think so. I’ve never met Derek so I didn’t know if it was a good idea.”

“It’s a great idea,” Corey reassures. “Derek does amazing things for everyone there, and there are not enough people around here who know about it. I suggest him to kids here all the time, and he and I still talk pretty much every day.”

“Yeah?” Liam asks. “Alright, that sounds really cool. Do you think you could give me his contact info?”

“Actually, now that you mention it, I was gonna ask you and Mason if the two of you would want to make tomorrow night a group thing. We could do a game night or a movie night or something. I could invite Derek and you guys could meet then, if you’d be down.”

“That would be great! Thank you so much, Core.”

“I feel like I should be thanking you, honestly. These kids need more resources.” Corey responds. 

Liam checks his phone, the conversation felt brief yet nearly ten minutes had passed. “I’ll let you finish your breakfast before you have to get to class, I’ll see you tomorrow. Thanks for the help!”

“My pleasure, I’ll see you then!”

He’s not sure what changed in the past few hours, but by the time Liam gets back to his parents’ place, he’s exhausted. Almost as soon as he walks through the door, he falls asleep on the couch, only the noise of some afternoon special on the TV heard throughout the house.

Liam wakes up hours later, groggy and confused. The sun is higher in the sky now, still barely visible from its spot between the clouds. When he finally gains his bearings, he scrambles to check the time on his phone, his stomach dropping when he sees that it’s currently one o’clock.

He runs to his room, nearly tripping on the top step, frantically searching his desk for the sticky note with Theo’s name on it. When he finally finds it, yellow and a bit crumpled, he types the numbers in quickly. 

“Hello?”

“Theo! Hi! I’m sorry, I’m running a little late. I fell asleep, I swear I’ll be there soon.”

Theo laughs, “no worries, take your time.”

Liam breathes out, nodding even though Theo couldn’t see him. “I’ll be there in less than twenty minutes.”

Theo laughs again, “alright, I’ll see you then.”

Liam takes a moment in the mirror, fixing his hair, before dashing out the door to start his car.

“I’m so sorry I’m late!” Liam stumbles into the bookstore, panting slightly from running from his car.

Theo shakes his head, a smile on his lips “Liam, seriously, you were less than half an hour late and you even called me to tell you, it’s fine.”

“We forgive you, Liam!” Maggie announced cheerfully. 

Theo laughed, reaching a hand down to ruffle her hair, “what she said.”

“Alright, Theo, how long will you be-” A familiar woman walks out of the backroom, stopping in her tracks when she sees Liam. It’s the florist from the flower shop he had gone to that morning, and she looks between Liam and where she had come from, probably having seen the vase on Theo’s kitchen table. She smirks knowingly, sending Liam a wink concealed from Theo’s view. “How long will you be gone?”

Liam is glad when Theo turns around to look at her, missing the pink tinge of his cheeks. “Tracy, this is Liam. Liam, this is Tracy, my best friend and a total pain in the-” he covers Maggie’s ears and drops his voice to a whisper, “ass.”

Tracy gives Liam a predatory smile and a slow wave. “Hi, Liam.”

“H-hey.”

Theo furrows his brow, looking between them before settling on Liam. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah,” Liam nods eagerly. “How does Denny’s sound for lunch?”

“Sounds great,” Theo smiles, “I could drive if you want.”

“Alright, sure.” 

Liam holds the door for Theo and Maggie when he walks out, the smirk on Tracy’s face still visible through the windows on the door when they’re outside. 

“I’m parked over here,” Theo motions to a mostly empty parking lot next to a candy shop, and Liam follows obediently. 

They get to the truck, and Liam is forced to remember the night that Theo drove him home from the sushi bar. It was nice, modest, and it was obvious that Theo took great care of it. He walked to the passenger side, confused when Maggie followed him. 

“Need help getting in, Mags?” Theo asked her, ready to round the truck.

“I could help her,” Liam offers. He opens the door, letting Maggie use his hand as leverage in order to reach the car’s floor. She hoists herself up with a grunt, and she’s able to buckle herself in once she sits down in her car seat. 

Theo is smiling softly when Liam gets in the passenger seat, looking right at Liam. “Thanks.”

Liam grins back, “no problem.”

There’s some pop radio station on in the truck, Liam recognizing a few of the songs from TikTok. Maggie is singing along to the songs, swaying back and forth in her seat and doing little disco dance moves. Liam joins her, humming along a little and doing a silly little dance in his own seat. Theo laughs when he takes in the two of them, and when he’s done Liam immediately wants to hear it again. _It’s normal to think that your new friend’s laugh is cute, right?_

The Denny’s isn’t too far, just outside of Uptown, and Theo pulls into a spot close to the front entrance, the parking lot mostly empty on a Thursday afternoon. 

Liam waits once he gets out of the car, helping Maggie down from the height, and she practically bolts it to the front door. 

Theo smiles fondly, he and Liam walking next to each other, matching paces. “She’s kind of a pancake addict.”

Liam laughs, “can you really blame her?”

Theo looks deep in thought for a moment, “I guess not.”

Maggie tries to open the door once Liam and Theo reach it, but struggles with its heavyweight. Theo swings it open, holding it for her and Liam to walk in. The greeter seems cheerful, waving at the three of them. 

“Hello, welcome to Denny’s! Can I get you three a table?”

“Yes, please,” Theo responds with a charming smile.

The server looks down, writing something on her notepad with a pen. “Family lunch?”

Liam’s eyes widen, and he stammers for a response, going red.

“Not quite,” Theo laughs, “This is my daughter, Maggie, and my friend, Liam.”

“Oh.” The server looks bashful, laughing to herself. “Sorry, I’ll show you three to your table.” 

They get a corner booth in the diner, and Maggie is quick to rush their drink orders, ecstatic at the prospect of a Nutella milkshake. Theo looks absolutely terrified. The waiter eventually makes his way over to them to get their drink orders, and Theo and Liam both end up getting berry smoothies. 

Liam wants to ask Theo questions, like how long he’s owned the bookstore, or what made him change it up so drastically, but he can sense that those subjects will be just as touchy as the suggestion of an interview was. “Are you a Beacon Hills native?”

“Yeah, I think my parents were from Nebraska or Tennessee or something, but I can’t really remember.” 

“Oh, you don’t talk to them much anymore?”

Theo laughed, “not at all. They kicked my sister and I out when I was in high school. I think they moved out of Beacon Hills after.”

“I’m sorry,” Liam starts, but Theo interrupts him.

“Don’t be sorry. They kicked us out because my sister came out as a lesbian, and when they gave her a hard time I cam out a bi,” Theo shakes his head as if trying to shake away the memory altogether. “Edith and Ernest are like parents to me now, though. So no huge loss, I guess.”

“That’s good to hear. They had always been so nice in high school, I hope they’re doing well.” 

“They’re good. They’re still living at home, and they’re still capable of doing things on their own. Edith uses a walker sometimes, but she always says _’it’s not because I’m old, it’s just because I can”_.” Theo looks up from where he had been swirling his straw in his glass, a soft grin on his face. “You could- uh.”

Liam cocks his eyebrow, patient.

“You could visit them sometime if you’d like,” Theo gets out, his cheeks light pink. “Mags and I try to visit them a few times a week. We make them dinner, don’t we baby?”

Maggie nods, puffing up her chest. “Nana loves my mac n cheese. She says that I’m the best chef ever!”

Liam laughs, “I bet she’s completely right.”

Maggie grins wide, a glint in her eye that reminds Liam that she does have a resemblance to Theo, although not the strongest.

“Are we ready to order?” The waiter asks, flipping out his notepad. 

Theo nods, but then looks at Liam to confirm.

“Yeah, I think we’re ready.”

“Alright! What are we having today?”

“Could I get a western with a Ceasar salad instead of hashbrowns?” 

The waiter hums a ‘yes’, writing it down on his notepad. When he’s finished, he looks up at Theo expectantly.

“Could I get the same but with fries?”

The waiter nods. “And what would this little lady like to eat?”

“Pancakes with Nutella, please!” Maggie grins ear-to-ear.

“My pleasure,” the waiter smiles back at her, “there’s not many here, expect your food in the next few minutes.”

“Thank you.”

“Thanks!”

The table is far from silent while they wait for their food. Theo asks Liam some questions about why he was drawn to history, and Liam has to visibly restrain himself from going off about Greek mythology for the next hour. It’s obvious, from the shine in his eyes and his sudden inability to sit still, that this is something he loves, and the fond look in Theo’s eyes when he’s explaining throws him for a loop.

Their food is quick, _really quick_ , and the waiter is there the moment that Liam finishes explaining the mythology of Gaea. 

There is finally a semblance of silence when they start to eat, and Liam feels a comfortability akin to being with a childhood friend. He feels like he’s at lunch with Mason, or Corey, or even Brett. Theo is easy to talk to, and he doesn’t really care or judge Liam for being an “influencer”. And Maggie is absolutely adorable, and far too smart for her age.

Liam thinks that it must have been hard for Theo to come to terms with Ophelia’s death. Not only because it was the death of his partner, which would no doubt be hard for absolutely anyone, but also because of how similar Maggie looks to her mother. Liam couldn’t imagine waking up every day to take care of his child that looked exactly like her mother, her mother who would never get to see her go to prom, or drive, or graduate. Theo’s life seemed to be a constant reminder of Ophelia, to Liam. He doesn’t think he could have been even half as strong. 

“So Maggie, what's your favourite book?” Liam asks, feeling the thump of his heart and the yearn for domesticity when he watches Theo cut up Maggie’s pancakes into small, swallowable pieces.

“I like Shakespeare!” Maggie announces, the prideful glint and the smile returning. 

“Woah, Shakespeare?” Liam could barely understand Shakespeare in high school, let alone when he was six-years-old.

“I’ve only exposed her to the comedies. I’ll wait until she’s in the eight grade, at least, until I expose her to anything more intense.” Theo laughs, looking up once he’s finally done cutting up the pancakes. “I’ve read her some original Shakespeare and translated, but it’s mostly these picture book versions that a publishing company makes for kids. She likes Twelfth Night.”

“Wow, I think you have a prodigy on your hands,” Liam says, his eyebrows raised.

“Gotta get them addicted to reading while they’re young, right?”

Liam laughs, nodding in agreement.

Maggie tells Liam all about her favourite books: The Wizard of Oz, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and The Hunger Games. Liam finds out that Maggie thinks that she likes history, and Liam offers to teach her everything he knows about it, claiming he might have to stick around for the next few years. They all laugh and talk about books and TV shows, and everything just feels _so right_. It feels so right that the entire rest of their lunch and the whole way back to the bookshop Liam’s mind is racing. There are so many things in his life that he does regularly, so many relationships, too, that feel like nothing in comparison to this one lunch with someone that Liam met like four days ago. He can’t explain why it feels right in the same sense that he can’t explain why a wave of guilt had been hanging over him.

At the green bookshop door, Theo lets Maggie run inside to greet Tracy. They linger for a moment, both with small smiles on their faces.

“Thank you for lunch,” Theo says, his voice soft.

“Thank you for saying yes.” 

Theo grins, nodding, “of course.”

There’s no thinking. None at all. One second he’s thanking Theo and the next second he’s leaning in, planting a quick kiss to Theo’s cheek. It takes a moment for it to register, and it’s not until he’s already pulled back when his eyes widen and he turns a furious shade of red. 

Theo’s mouth had opened in a shocked expression, softening when he noticed Liam’s embarrassment. Theo leans forward, slow and sweet, and plants a kiss in return to Liam’s cheek.

“Bye, Liam.” Theo’s smiling kindly, and then he’s turning around, the green door shutting lightly behind him. Liam just stands and gapes.

He groans into his hands the moment that his car door provides him with a barrier from the outside world. He does it until he starts getting strange looks from pedestrians walking by. Habit is what forces him to reach for his phone, checking his notification centre. When he sees the top notification, he throws the phone into his back seat, knowing that he has to get a lid on his anger as soon as possible. 

**_(5) missed calls from Joey_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this chapter two days ago, my bad 🤡


	8. Between the night, night and dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yet another fun night on the town for Liam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title is from the song _Reflektor_ by Arcade Fire :)

Liam wakes up cold. He had to open the window last night, after an episode he liked to get fresh air when it was possible. He was still driving when Joey called for the sixth time, the screen of his car’s GPS asking if he’d like to answer the call, a taunt as bright as day. He contemplated for a moment, hesitating with one finger over the button that would decline the call. He pressed the button to pick it up, feeling a sudden weight in his bones.

_“Liam, what the fuck? Why the fuck have you gone ghost?”_

_“I-”_

_“You what? Your entire job revolves around your online persona and you’ve been MIA for hours! There’s no excuse for that!”_

_“I’m sorry, baby. I was just spending the day with my parents, I lost track of time, I didn’t have my phone.” Liam lies through his teeth._

_“You better go on Twitter and Instagram tonight and fix it. We have brand deals lined up, we can’t have companies pulling out because of speculation.”_

_“Okay, I’m sorry. You’re right. I’ll find a way to fix it, I promise.”_

_“Okay,” Joey sighs, sounding exhausted. “I’m sorry for snapping, I didn’t mean to. I love you,, baby.”_

_“I love you too, JoJo.”_

Liam remembers feeling angry afterward. Angry that he couldn’t have one single day to do what he wanted to do. Angry that his relationship and some of his brand deals were so codependent. Angry that some people couldn’t understand that a single day of not speaking doesn’t mean that their relationship is over. 

He drove to the preserve, screamed in his car for a few minutes, and then he felt normal enough to drive home, exhausted, both physically and emotionally. He cracked his window and fell asleep, still in his jeans. 

He dreamed of the day that Joey had proposed. They were in Greece, visiting some ancient ruins that weren’t as popular with tourists as the coliseum. He had brought his parents along, too, and he hadn’t realized that his mom was holding a camera until Joey’s steps had faltered and he fell behind. When he turned, Joey was on one knee, his parents behind them. When it happened, Liam cried, and he nodded to fight his speechlessness. In his dream, however, Liam had said no. He had said no and suddenly he was no longer one half of Loey, he no longer had the weight of a public relationship on his shoulders, or the promise to a company that they’d use their photo studio for their engagement photos. He woke up the same way that people wake up when they get punched or fall in a dream, flinching as if he had been burned. 

It was too early, again, but he didn’t think he wanted a continuation of the dream, not knowing what kind of subconscious fantasies that his brain would manifest in his slumber. He got up, put on running clothes, and grabbed his phone. 

He didn’t have a destination in mind when he started running. He was listening to the meditation music that a therapist had recommended to him one time. It wasn’t quite his taste, but you can’t knock it until you try it. It was a warmer day, Liam’s wearing a long sleeve, but he doesn’t feel cold. 

He doesn’t know why he always winds up here, in front of the green door. It feels like a beacon driving him there, a lighthouse on a foggy night. He kneels over, panting and sweaty, the usually bustling street completely empty. There’s not a soul around, but Liam knows that there’s life nearby, he knows that even if he’s alone, trying to blow off some steam, Maggie and Theo are only three doors away, sleeping soundly. He allows the thought to soothe him before he starts to feel like a creep, rushing away from the green door but somehow still feeling its pull.

He walks now, uptown feeling less urgent when he’s the only one to walk the main street. He finally checks the time on his phone, momentarily blinded by the brightness of the “ _5:30_ ” projected back at him. He decides that instead of turning around, he’ll make a nearly full circle around the block to head back, having the sneaking suspicion that if he passes the green door again he’ll wind up standing outside of it until the shop opens. 

Liam always liked uptown. In high school, it had been considered the snooty side of town, and most of the kids who lived there ended up going to Devenford instead of BHHS. Liam never really saw it as snooty, more social than anything. Downtown was where people would go if they wanted to shop or see a concert, but uptown was quiet, populated by small businesses and cafes, more intimate and far less busy. Though, Liam can certainly see the intimacy in large groups, too. 

Having had the pleasure of living so close, Liam spent almost all of his time uptown, whether it was at Edith and Ernest’s, or at some rooftop garden doing homework. It might’ve been the one thing he enjoyed about the town as a kid. Something about the empty streets, and the still-lit store signs, and the beautiful, magnetic green door was calming to him, and by the time he was on his front porch, he could hardly remember what had made him angry, to begin with. It was way easier to get to sleep when he had the green door to dream about.

Twelve hours later, Liam gets up from his laptop, where he had been sitting all afternoon, and goes to the washroom so he can fix his hair. He spent the entire afternoon doing PR, which took a lot more work than he wished it did. Joey had a team for it, one person for each social media platform, they would work together to choose the best attack to any drama or controversy that came up. It’s more of a reassurance than anything else, it’s not like Joey is racist or sexist or anything like that, and he only ever had to apologize for a controversy once, but he liked to keep them under his payroll just in case. Liam gets it, but he always preferred having his own things and handling his own problems. After six hours of assuring the general public that his relationship was intact, and posting cute _#TBTs_ of _#Loey_ , he wished he had hired his own team. 

He didn’t expect it to take so long, he got dressed and showered as soon as he woke up in hopes that he could go to the bookstore and hang out with Theo until they were meant to hang out with Morey. Instead, he sat at his screen drinking mediocre coffee from a reusable straw.

His hair looks fine, but it is getting a little long at the front. Other than that there’s not much to do, there’s not much that he _can_ do about the bags under his eyes. The idea strikes him, and he takes a few minutes to delicately apply his eyeliner, and then he’s leaving the house, saying a quick goodbye to his parents.

He starts his car, remembering the way to the arcade, and decides to call Theo and ask him if he wants a ride. Maybe he didn’t get to spend the afternoon in the bookstore, but he could still offer a ride to his new friend.

“Hello?” 

“Hey!” Liam catches his own overenthusiasm before Theo has the chance to say anything about it. “On the way to the arcade from my place I drive past the bookshop, want a ride?”

“Yeah,” Theo sounds breathless, and Liam can visualize the smile on his face, “I’d like that. Thanks, Liam.”

“No problem, be there soon.”

Liam may or may not drive ~~_a lot_~~ a little fast on his way to the bookshop. And a goofy grin may or may not find his face as soon as he sees the green door.

Tracy is bouncing Maggie on her hip, standing in the door when Liam pulls up. Theo is outside, talking to her, and another woman stands next to them. Her eyes are the same green as Theo’s, but her hair is ever so slightly on the redder side of the colour spectrum. She’s a little shorter than Tracy, and she’s wearing overalls and holding a bouquet in a vase. 

Theo turns around when he hears the car pull up, smiling widely in Liam’s direction and giving him a wave. Liam waves back, unlocking the car door. Liam isn’t eavesdropping, at least not actively, but he does hear Theo say goodbye to Maggie, Tracy, and ‘Tara’. It makes sense considering the two of them share the same eye colour and bone structure. 

Theo’s grin melts Liam like butter, and he has to let the car fall into silence after their greetings. He needs to stop feeling things that aren’t for Joey, his fiance. Liam’s a lot of things, but he doesn’t want to add adulterer to the list. Or liar.

Mason and Corey are playing a very competitive game of air hockey right by the front of the arcade. If Liam didn’t know any better, he would say that this intensity and competitiveness would warrant a fight, their bickering loud, making it obvious that they’ve started pregaming already. 

“Hey, guys!” Corey goes from determined to friendly in an instant, which winds up being his downfall. Just as he stands up straight, Mason sinks the winning goal on Corey’s side, ending their overtime. “Oh, fuck you, Mason.”

“Hey, you can’t say that!”

Corey laughs, holding up his left hand and pointing at it with his right index finger, “Of course I can. _’In sickness and in health’_ , remember?”

“Oh, give me a break.” Mason rolls his eyes and wraps Liam in a hug before doing the same with Theo.

“How have you two been?”

“Good,” Liam is unsure if it’s the implication of unity in Mason’s words or the unified response that gets him blushing, but his face takes on a pale pink shade. The neon lights in the arcade hide it, luckily, but the awkward way that he clears his throat gives him away. 

“Derek, Stiles, Malia, and Kira are in the dining area, they just got here and went to order drinks,” Corey explains, pointing towards an area with more consistent lighting.

“Stiles?” Liam asks, shocked. “Like, Stiles Stilinski?”

“Yeah!” Mason responds, nodding, “Scott’s Stiles. He’s dating Derek. Small world, huh?”

“Very small, I haven’t seen Scott in years.”

“Oh, we know,” Mason laughs, “Stiles and Scott still make jokes about how their child abandoned them.”

Liam giggles, shaking his head. “Of course they do.”

Corey leads the way to the dining room, walking hand-in-hand with Mason, nearly skipping. Soulmates probably aren’t a real thing, but it would absolutely make sense if it turned out that Mason and Corey were married in a past life, and a past life before that one, and another before that. They fit perfectly from the first day that they met, Liam thinks, and they bring out the best in each other.

“Hey!” Kira greets them with a welcoming smile, waving politely. 

“Hi, guys!” Liam greets everyone individually, giving Kira and Malia hugs. When he gets to Stiles, the older boy grabs him playfully by the front of his shirt. 

“Hi, Mr. bigshot. Who do you think you are, leaving and not coming back?” 

Liam keeps eye contact, trying to glare, but he feels laughter coming up. When he huffs out a laugh from his nose, Stiles breaks, his eyes softening while he bursts into laughter. Stiles moves his hand to give Liam a hug, “I missed you, dumbass.”

Finally, Liam is introduced to Derek, who has apparently already had the whole series explained to him.

“Nice to meet you,” Derek smiles, shaking Liam’s hand, “Before you ask, I am totally cool with the series, but if it ends up hurting any of the kids, I will kill you.”

Liam must’ve made a face or something, because everyone else bursts into laughter, even Derek letting out a chuckle. Liam relaxes, smiling back, but the muttered _’I’m not kidding’_ keeps him on his toes. 

Liam sits next to Mason and watches while Theo greets everyone. When it gets to Derek, he seems almost shy, a timid smile on his face and a pink tinge on his cheeks.

“Hey, Der.”

Derek returns with an expression akin to pride, and Theo’s blush worsens. “Hey, kid. Long time no see.” Derek wraps Theo in a big hug, from an outside perspective, it looks almost painful, but Theo is beaming when they pull away.

Theo sits next to Derek, across from Liam on the other side of the booth. 

“How's Tara doing?” Derek asks almost as soon as Theo sits down.

“Still disgustingly in love with Tracy, and completely cynical towards everyone else,” Theo laughs, shaking his head.

“Of course,” Derek laughs in response, “And what about Maggie?”

Theo thinks for a second, grinning from ear to ear, “she’s great, as usual.”

“I’m glad.” Derek pats Theo’s hand with his own, quickly. “You don’t call me enough, kid. I haven’t seen you since your birthday.”

“That was only a month ago, old man. And you know that you’re always welcome at the shop, I don’t get out much.”

“Well, maybe you should.”

Theo’s glares and Derek makes a gesture with his hands like he’s waving it off. The table orders their food as soon as the waitress returns, drinks arriving. Mason ordered Liam a cocktail, and Liam looked up to see what Corey had ordered for Theo.

He probably looks crazy, but Liam throws his head back in laughter, giggling as he takes it in. “Are y-Are you drinking a Shirley Temple?”

Theo blushes, ducking his head. “It’s the closest thing to a cocktail without being alcoholic.”

Liam sobers quickly, reaching for Theo’s Shirley Temple and pushing his cocktail forward. “I’ll drive tonight,” He smiles, appreciating how cute Theo’s blush makes him look, “have some fun.”

Theo is quick to shake his head, “I shouldn’t, I can’t go home drunk. Maggie might wake up and need me.”

“Already under control,” Derek replied, typing something on his phone, “just texted Tara, her and Tracy will stay in the bookshop apartment, you could stay at the flower shop tonight.”

Theo still looked hesitant, scratching the back of his neck. Derek reaches forward, putting the cocktail to Theo’s lips and tilting his head back, Theo is quick to grab for the glass so he doesn’t choke, swallowing it down. “Just don’t break any of their vases on your way upstairs.”

By the time food got there, the table had been on the conversation of relationships. Everyone was happy, and so sickeningly in love. 

“Can we please talk about some relationship pet peeves or something? You guys are making me lonely,” Theo laughs, but the sound is forced, and more than one pitying look is sent his way.

“I hate it when Kira leaves her swords unsheathed. If I didn’t have keen senses I’d be in pieces by now,” Malia starts.

Kira laughs, “I hate it that Malia has started baby-proofing the house even though we haven’t found a sperm donor yet.”

“Derek doesn’t like our dog.”

“The dog pees on all the furniture, of course, I don’t like the dog.”

The conversation flows, and they get progressively drunker and dinner goes by. 

Theo lured Liam’s attention away from the conversation, “you’ve got something on your face.” 

“Where?”

Theo folds a napkin to the tip of his finger and leans closer. Liam can almost feel Theo’s breath on his face, and Theo’s hand is soft when it dabs the ketchup from Liam’s cheek. They maintain eye contact, and Liam notices when Theo’s eyes flick to his lips. 

“I mean, of course, my parents like Corey, why wouldn’t they?” 

The conversation is still happening, though distant in Liam’s ears.

“I couldn’t imagine being in Liam’s position, though.”

The moment is broken when Liam pulls away, his eyebrows growing acquainted with his forehead. “My parents don’t like Joey!?”

Mason looks sheepish, scratching his neck. “I- uh- I thought that you knew that.”

“Knew that?” Liam asks, disbelieving, “of course I didn’t know that. How do you know that?”

“Life still happens when you’re not here, Li. Your mom mentioned it one time, it didn’t seem like a big deal.”

The entire table’s attention is on Liam, all eyes are watching him, and nobody is speaking. He looks down at his hands, clearing his throat. 

“I’m going to the washroom.”

He runs the sink on cold, splashing his face with water, feeling the droplets weighing down his eyelashes. He sees someone enter from the mirror, straightening on instinct. Theo stands at the sink next to Liam, wordless as he washes his hands. He dries them on the air dryer, which is far louder than necessary, then places a dry hand on Liam’s shoulder. 

“Wann go play some games now?”

Liam gives a small smile, turning around, “sure.”

They walk past the table, now empty save for the jackets and bags that are still there. Everyone else must have had the same idea, excited to play some arcade games.

Liam gravitates towards Space Invaders, unsurprisingly, and Theo trails along, playing the arcade machine next to Liam’s.

“You know,” Theo slurs, “I never understood Pac-man. Why does eating have to be a life-or-death thing?” 

Liam giggles, ignoring his own game to watch Theo play, “that’s a great question, never thought of it like that.”

When Theo finally loses, Liam drags him to the section with multi-player games. They jam to The Killers on Guitar Hero, Liam crashing and burning to an embarrassing extent. 

“I feel like you’re cheating!”

“Not cheating, just had a minor Guitar Hero obsession back in high school.”

“Minor? You didn’t miss a single note.”

“Theo shrugs, sheepish, “I mean, I know how to play the song on an actual electric, too.”

“No way!” Liam’s eyes light up, “you gotta show me sometime!”

Theo laughs, “we’ll see.”

At basketball, the results are pretty much the same. Liam loses four times in a row, by at least ten points each time. This time, he doesn’t complain. He can’t, because Theo had sensed his frustration and abandoned his hoop in favour of Liam’s. He walks up behind him, so close that his front is almost touching Liam’s back, and uses his hands to guide Liam’s and show him the correct positioning to use for a free-throw. 

Theo tells Liam about his year on the high school basketball team, and Liam finds out that they were in the same year at BHHS, they just never ran in the same circles. Liam thinks he would have liked Theo in high school, had they met. Outsiders often get along with other outsiders.

They have a blast playing several rounds of air hockey that rival Mason and Corey’s, and Liam teaches Theo how to play foosball. By the time they run out of swipes to play more games, Liam can’t even imagine a night in the last five years that was more fun than this one. 

They bring their cards to the prize booth, looking at all of the prizes. Theo uses his tickets to get a bucket full of candy for Maggie. Liam uses all of his tickets to ask for a giant blue bear, nearly taller than him. When the worker gets the bear down, Liam hands it to Theo, a smile on his face. “Give this to Maggie for me.”

Theo’s eyes widen, “Are you sure? They are _your_ hard-earned tickets after all.”

Liam’s smile is blinding, “of course I’m sure.”

The two of them navigate the arcade’s darkness to find each couple individually, saying their goodbyes. When Theo tells Derek about Liam getting the bear for Maggie, Derek gives the two of them a look that Liam can’t pick out. Liam doesn’t have the necessary tools to decode it, but maybe Theo does.

Liam helps Theo out of the arcade over his stumbling feet. Theo’s not black-out drunk, but he’s drunk enough to let loose and move like a ragdoll. Liam can’t help but giggle when Theo literally flops into the passenger seat.

The local top 40 station plays softly, the silence mostly comfortable.

“I always wanted to learn this one on guitar,” Theo comments on a song that had been #1 on the charts five years ago.

“How come you didn’t?” Liam sees it as an innocent question.

“I sold my guitars a few years ago, couldn’t really afford rent for a little while so I had to make things work.” Liam suddenly feels like he’s intruding. Theo will remember the night when he wakes up tomorrow, but the slur in his speech is evidence that he may regret some of the things that he says.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Liam responds, taking his eyes off the road for a second to look at Theo. “It’s a good song, I hope that you can learn it one day.”

The rest of the drive is silent. Theo seems to be in a drink-induced haze, swaying happily to the music, and Liam doesn’t want to start any conversations out of fear that Theo will reveal something else that he might regret.

Liam parks in front of the flower shop, walking to Theo’s door to help him out. Theo stumbles to the door, taking a key from a hanging planter next to it. He unlocks it with surprising swiftness, and places the bucket of candy and the bear just on the inside of the door.

Theo stands outside, looking at Liam. “Thanks for driving me.”

Liam smiles, soft, “my pleasure.” 

“Thanks for letting me have some fun, I don’t really do that anymore.” Theo scratches his elbow, looking down.

“In that case, I’m glad that I could let you have that.”

Theo’s smiling when he looks up, nodding thoughtfully. “I’ll see you soon, hopefully. Thanks again for the ride.”

“It’s really no pr-” Liam’s words are interrupted by soft lips on his. He immediately feels a vast amount of different sensations and emotions, but he forces himself to clamp down on them. 

Before Liam opens his eyes, Theo has already entered the flower shop, saying nothing more than “Bye, Liam.” 

For a moment, Liam humours the thought that maybe his attraction isn’t to the green door specifically, maybe it’s just any door that Theo is behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late chapter! I finished finals on Monday and didn't realize how burned-out I was until afterward. Expect some double-updates in the next few days :)


	9. I'll be home for Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last-minute errands, the first location of the mini-series, and a very unexpected guest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: brief mention of sex work

_**You have Two (2) new voicemails.** _

_**December 19th, 1:37 am:** “Liam, I’m sorry. I-didn’t mean… Well, I did mean to kiss you, but I shouldn’t have. I’m really sorry. It’s Theo by the way… Maybe I should have said that first but I kinda broke a vase so maybe I wasn’t really thinking… “_

_**December 19th, 3:34 am:** “Hey, Li. I’m really sorry for how I’ve been acting lately. I just feel like we haven’t been talking much, and I miss you so much, angel. I hope I can see you soon, beautiful _

\-----

Six days until Christmas. Six days is not a very long time, but it’s certainly not as hectic as Christmas eve, either. Usually, Liam would get everything ready on Christmas eve if he were in LA. Or he would have everything ready weeks in advance if they were doing a destination Christmas. This Christmas, he decided that something in between would work just fine.

In the early morning hours, he had woken up to two voicemails and a bouquet of flowers that had been as specific as the bouquet he had brought to Theo. There was a card taped to the vase: “I’m really sorry for the things that I did last night, it was completely inappropriate to kiss you, and I should have waited until the morning to apologize. I’m really sorry, Liam.” 

He wasn’t completely sure how he felt, how any of it made him feel. The kiss was amazing, but kissing other men is not supposed to make him feel anything but overwhelming guilt, which was another emotion that he had to juggle with. He felt _very_ guilty, and it only worsened when he heard Joey’s voicemail. The bouquet was more put-together than Liam’s had been, the flowers didn’t quite match, but Theo nailed the colours. The bouquet’s message was only slightly different from the one Liam had made days before. He didn’t want to hold a grudge, but he knew it would be best for both of them if Liam fought off the draw of the green door, if he tried to ignore it for the rest of his trip. 

His daily to-do list started with getting boxes and wrapping paper for his gifts. He would have to go uptown if he wanted to buy his wrapping from the cute locally-owned Christmas shop. It was across the street, five doors down from the bookshop. He would still be able to see the green paint from the sidewalk. He drove his car downtown instead, settling for Walmart.

He had forgotten that he didn’t wrap the gifts before, having left them unwrapped so they wouldn’t be damaged during the car ride. He made a speedy stroll of each aisle, getting cards, coffee, and gift tags. The paper wasn’t as cute as it would have been had he gone to the Christmas shop, and he probably would have been able to get some reusable wrapping, but it would be at the cost of his sanity. He picks up some snacks, too, popcorn, chocolate, and chips, in hopes that he can spend a night with his parents watching a movie.

Downtown was sparse when it came to small businesses, rent prices weren’t affordable unless a business could afford to franchise, so he was forced to stop at a Starbucks. He picked up three coffees: a caramel macchiato, an apple-oat flat white, and a vanilla sweet cream cold brew, and headed home. 

Jenna’s car was warming up in the driveway, the engine on, and she was visible in the doorway. He dashed from his car after parking it, only taking the coffees with him. He handed David the macchiato, Jenna the flat white, and took the cold brew for himself, smiling at his parents.

Jenna gave him a look that was mostly indecipherable until he caught sight of the flowers, right in the entryway, and he looked down in shame. 

David cleared his throat, “alright, you two ready to go?”

Liam nodded, turning around to get in the back seat of Jenna’s car. Jenna had finished editing her book only a week ago, and had been going to the publishing center sporadically to okay things like the cover, or come up with the dedication. Today, she would be there for no longer than two hours, and David and Liam tagged along to start the series.

“Guys?” Liam broke the silence. “Mason mentioned something to me last night, is it okay if I ask you about it?”

Jenna winced, though Liam just barely caught it, and David nodded, a skeptical expression on his face.

“Do you- He said-,” He takes a deep breath, “you guys don’t like Joey?”

Jenna inhales sharply, locking eyes with her son in the rearview mirror.

“Of course we like Joey,” David replies without missing a single beat.

Jenna’s expression hasn’t changed, and neither has the subject of her attention. She turns around in the passenger seat, looking at Liam.

“I know that you don’t want me to lie to you, baby.”

Liam looks unsure, but he nods anyway.

“I don’t really like Joey. I don’t. From what your dad and I have seen, it seems like his half of the relationship is more performative,” Jenna looks pained, but Liam knows that she is telling her honest truth. “At the same, your father and I are not in your relationship, so we don’t know it the way that you do. I trust you to make the decisions that would make you happy, and I’m sure Joey makes you happy if you agreed to his proposal.”

David sighs, “your mother’s right, all we want is for you to be happy. We don’t know how Joey acts when it’s just the two of you, so even if we don’t really like him, you might know him differently. Just don’t let him treat you badly, alright?”

Liam nods. It’s obvious that he didn’t like what he heard, but he’s glad that his parents were honest with him. It feels wrong to marry someone that his parents don’t like, but he does love Joey, and he _thinks_ that Joey makes him happy. 

“We noticed that Theo left you some flowers, he’s a sweet boy,” Jenna grins, “his daughter’s an angel, David’s their family doctor.”

Liam’s face goes bright red, and he can’t bring himself to verbally form any response. 

David swiftly pulls into the parking spot, the one with the gold plaque reserved for _’Jenna Geyer: Author Extraordinaire'_. Jenna gets out of the car and walks in, while David and Liam stick around outside for a moment in order to take some photos.

The publishing building isn’t huge, no bigger than your usual two-story house, but it doesn't really have to be. They’ve thought about expanding, a lot of young authors who were fans of Jenna suddenly wanted their books published by _Hills of Beacon: Publishing_ , but other than the few super fans, the building wasn’t very busy. Jenna is one of California’s greatest current authors, but she’s one of only four authors who regularly publish here. Three of the authors had different publishing schedules, so they wouldn’t typically be in at the same time. The fourth author, Allison Argent, was a friend of Liam’s from high school, and she published only short-stories, causing her to come in once a month or so.

The author offices and the offices of the higher-ups at the firm were upstairs, secluded from the bustling noise caused by _The Beacon Hills Times_ on the downstairs level. Down there, teen interns and twenty-something writers and photographers ran around like their heads were cut off, frantically trying to meet research and design deadlines. 

Liam and David had quickly discussed what Liam was looking for in photos, and used the outside pictures as samples. The two of them went their separate ways once they arrived inside, David heading upstairs to start with the offices, while Liam remained downstairs to interview some staff at the paper.

The editor-in-chief was sweet, she was probably in her early thirties, and she seemed like a lot of fun. Her name is Vaani, and she had really long hair and dressed to impress. She was really nice and well-spoken, but it was obvious that she could put her foot down if she really had to. The whole staff must have been under thirty, save for one columnist in her fifties, and it gave off a summer camp vibe. 

Liam interviewed two writers: Joanna, the 54-year-old, and a younger writer named Ellie. He talked with Gina and Carrie, best friends who both go to BHHS and work as interns in the comic department. They created a Gen-Z comic with very obscure humour, and Liam would be lying if he said he completely understood it. One of the comics was just a single panel with an illustration of beans, the title being _’Beans’_ , and apparently the teens in Beacon Hills found it hilarious. When he spoke with Heather, a 22-year-old fresh out of college who supervised the illustrators, she said that Gina and Carrie’s comics were so beloved that their paper sales had increased in the hundreds. Some tourists would even buy papers when they stopped in Beacon Hills, just to see the infamous comics. Liam was buzzing with excitement to be able to feature the talented artists in his series, and he hopes that they get the recognition they deserve, even if he doesn’t completely get it.

Finally, he spoke with the three head designers: Erica, Boyd, and Adio. They seemed to be the most stressed out of the whole lot, maybe even more stressed than the editor-in-chief. Their desks were overflowed with drawings, papers, and highlighters. There were five bulletin boards that were so close together they almost formed a barrier between the designers and the rest of the room. A blank newspaper with only a heading was clipped to the one in the middle, pictures and articles scrambled around it. They were all pretty nice, Erica being the only one who seemed to be sort of inpatient. Liam made it speedy, having heard from Joanna earlier that they were a day away from the weekly deadline. 

After he finished the interviews, Vaani had given him permission to look through some of the archives, and he was just entering the archive room as David walked down the stairs. 

“Finished with the pictures upstairs,” David smiled, nodding to indicate where he had come from. “Allison’s upstairs if you want to interview her, she’s finishing up some editing according to your mom.”

“That’s great,” Liam smiles back, nodding, “thanks, dad.”

The archive is just a small room, meticulously organized and somewhat poorly lit. The room is brown, with a single table and chair, and a super old desktop computer. It reminds him of the old Beacon Hills library, but even that had been updated while he was in high school. The rest of the firm had pretty modern decorations, so it’s understandable that the one room they wouldn’t bother updating would be the archives.

He doesn’t really know where to start. It’s not like there was anything particular that he was searching for. Just looking around. 

There’s neat A-Z labels on the shelves, but one label catches his eye: _**Beacon Hills: Outside Media**_.

He gravitates towards it and brings the file box to the table, flipping through the filings. Nothing really catches his eye, there are articles from magazines about BH’s environmental efforts, articles about athletes from BH, himself included, and articles from outside newspapers about various investigations that happened here. He’s about to forget it altogether until a picture catches his eye, and having processed it way after he first flipped to it, he has to flip the files back to find it. 

The article is from _The New York Times_ , and the fact that they wrote about Beacon Hills is enough to spark curiosity. The newspaper wasn’t what brought him back to the article, though, and he pulls it from the box and slaps it on the table with swiftness. 

The picture isn’t big like a front-page photo would be, and the article itself only occupies half a page. The picture sits inline within one of the article’s slim columns. There is Ophelia, her hair done in a halo braid with different flowers stuck in various places throughout it. She’s smiling, her dimples on display, and she looks undeniably happy. She’s sitting in a chair, a green garden behind her, and she’s wearing a yellow dress that accentuates her features. The headline and subheading bring the burden of unexpected weight: _**”Small Town Racism: Has America’s healthcare system once again let down people of colour?”**_

Liam puts the article back in the box and shuts it. He barely puts it back on the shelf before fleeing from the room, feeling as if he has just done something so deeply intrusive that he should pretend he hadn’t seen it.

He runs up the stairs, aware that he probably looked to be in a state of mania considering how fast he had run from the room up to the next level.

He almost runs straight into Allison, who was just about to leave her office.

“Liam! Oh my god, what are you doing here?” She yells, enveloping him in a hug.

“Hey, Al.” Liam squeezes her tight before letting go. “It’s been so long, how have you been?”

“I’ve been great, even better now that I’m seeing you again. It’s been way too long,” She steps back to look him up and down, “does Scott know that you’re here?”

Liam winces, “I didn’t tell him, but I did see Stiles last night, so I’m sure he knows.”

“Oh, you’re so dead,” Allison smiles. “I’ve seen your Instagram and blog, I’m so proud of you! You’re a real hometown hero.”

“Not me,” Liam laughs, “have you read your stuff? Your short stories are absolutely chilling, you’re amazing.”

Allison shakes her head, blushing lightly, “couldn’t have done it without your mom.”

Liam barks out another laugh, “you and me both.”

Allison grins, “so what are you doing here?”

“Mason had the wonderful idea of doing a mini-series on Beacon Hills, and this is one of my locations. Would you be cool with doing an interview? I had no idea you’d be here or I would’ve called in advance.”

“Sure, I’d love that,” She agrees, then appears to be in thought. “Have you finished everything else you needed to do here? We could do it over coffee, catch up.”

“I’d love that, just let me tell my parents, I drove with them.” Liam leaves Allison to knock on his mother’s door, quickly notifying her of his departure, and he goes down to tell David the same. Before long, he’s outside with Allison, walking alongside her in the crisp December air.

“I hope you don’t mind that we walk,” Allison says, a faint grin on her face, “I did a lot of research about climate change for my last novella, and I’ve been trying to use my car less.”

Liam nods, “no, I totally get that. It’s a pretty scenic walk, anyway.”

“Isn’t it?” Allison grins, looking at Liam, “I’ve always loved walking around Beacon Hills.”

Liam nods in agreement, admiring the views of the city as the two of them walk deeper into the downtown core. 

The cafe isn’t Sam’s, that’s for sure, but it’s cute, and Liam won’t knock the coffee until he tries it. “What would you like, Ali?”

“I could get it.”

Liam shakes his head, “I’m the one who noped out of town and never answers texts. Coffee’s on me.”

“Alright, thanks,” Allison smiles, “could I get a blueberry muffin and a vanilla iced coffee?”

“Of course. I’ll be right back.”

The food is much quicker than at Sam’s, but Liam isn’t sure that he’ll like it the same. Again, no knocking until he tries it.

He sits down across from Allison, presenting her with her drink and muffin. She smiles sweetly, thanking him.

Allison suggests that they start out with the interview, and Liam agrees that they could do some personal chatting afterward. Allison talks about her last novella, a short story that takes place in a future where a specific amount of resources are assigned to every person at birth, and they cannot receive any more than what they are allotted. Her novel discusses climate change and unsustainable practices, and she also created some important conversations on discrimination of all kinds, having some characters receive fewer resources than others. She was nearly nominated for a Pulitzer for it, and she won two lesser-known awards for it. Her upcoming novella was to be about the various reasons women may get into sex work, whether it be for empowerment or out of necessity, as a way to open the conversation regarding the benefits of sex work that society scarcely acknowledges. She also divulged some writing tips for new authors, and discussed why she prefers short stories and novellas instead of full-length novels.

Liam was absolutely fascinated from start to finish, a small pit of regret growing in his stomach regarding his departure all those years ago. He had only really kept in touch with a few people, really just Mason and Corey consistently, but seeing how his friends had grown into amazing people while he was gone made him wish he had done it differently. He’s only 24, and Stiles, being his oldest friend, is only barely 26. He still has time to renew his friendships, lot of it.

“Thank you so much, Al. I adore your writing, if I’m being honest,” Liam smiles sheepishly, his cheeks colouring. “I know we don’t talk much, but I’ve read everything that you’ve put out.”

“Thank you so much, Liam,” Allison’s own cheeks turn pink and she smiles. “You know we’re gonna have to hang out before you leave, right? We absolutely have to get the gang back together.”

“That’s more than okay with me,” Liam grins.

Allison checks her phone, looking back up at Liam with a panicked face. “I’m so sorry, Liam, I totally forgot that I had to get a few things for Christmas preparations. I really wish we could talk longer.”

Liam knows she’s being genuine, Allison had never been anything but. “Totally fine, I get it.”

“New Year's party at Scott’s, I’ll see you there?”

Liam raises his eyebrows in surprise, “sure, yeah!”

Allison gathers up her bag and coat, sending Liam a wave and a warm expression, gratefully thanking him for the coffee and muffin. Liam gets up, getting his own coat back on and leaving $20 on the table for their waitress, who was very nice although she seemed a little nervous. The _’I’m new!_ pin on her apron had told both him and Allison everything that they had needed to know.

Downtown is pretty far from his house. _Well, really far_ , so he takes out his phone and orders an Uber. Uber wasn’t even really a thing when he left Beacon Hills, but now there are so many, so close together, that the driver is there in under two minutes, waving and welcoming him in. Liam takes the necessary precautions, checking to make sure license plates match and making sure that he’s still sharing his location with Mason, and then he gets in, happy to sit in comfortable silence.

A car with rental plates is parked outside his house, and his heartbeat picks up when he thanks the driver and gets out. He’s quick to the front door, and hears three familiar voices when he walks in. Quick footsteps run towards him and he suddenly has an armful of familiar scent and curly brown hair. 

“Joey? What are you doing here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all having happy holidays!


	10. Ten thousand roads to run away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam offers Theo some of the tenderness that he has been missing over the years, and goes to the Hale Home for his interview with Derek.

Joey was here. Joey was here now and he would be here until Liam left. Until the both of them would get back in Liam’s car and drive back to Los Angeles to live the lives that people expected them to live and be the cookie-cutter people that the internet wanted them to be. Where he would have to spend hours tending to the public’s outlook on their relationship, and make plans for a wedding that seemed to be more about public image and content than anything else.

Dinner with his parents was completely silent. Nobody tried to make conversation, and while Liam knew why, Joey didn’t. Still, he did not make any attempt to change the silence. It was just knives and forks scraping plates and the sound of swallowing.

The flowers were on his desk when they walked into his room, and of course, that’s where Joey had gone first. He ignored the posters and the pictures that Liam had up, the same ones that Liam thought Joey would find funny, and gravitated towards the vase. Liam’s heart sank to the floor, but Joey looked more confused than angry when he turned around. Liam chanced a peak around Joey to see that his mom had removed the tag, probably when she had greeted Joey at the door, but she had still moved the flowers to his room, for some reason.

“Who are these from?” Joey questions, calm with a hint of concern.

Liam cracks a smile, “made friends with a florist.”

Joey doesn’t laugh, he doesn’t do much of anything, really. Just stares at Liam skeptically, his disbelief evident. 

“Her name’s Tracy, she’s cool.”

Joey looks angry, suddenly, and Liam’s confused. “You told me that just because you were bi didn’t mean that you’d cheat on me!”

Liam makes a disbelieving sound, “are we really back at the biphobia again? Just because I’m attracted to men and women doesn’t mean that I cheated on you, Joey. If I were gay that wouldn’t mean that I’d cheat on you with any man, would it?”

Joey still looks angry, but he shakes his head. “So she’s just a friend?”

“Like I said, she’s just a friend.” Liam sighs, shrugging off his jeans to get into bed, “a friend who’s a lesbian, so I guess you don’t have to worry about my infidelities.”

The two of them had fallen asleep without another word. No apology, no goodnight, no _I love you_. Just a long-drawn silence in the darkness of Liam’s childhood bedroom. 

The moment he woke up the next morning, Liam had bolted from the house, Joey still fast asleep in the bed. He ran by Sam’s, picking up two coffees and a yellow sprinkled doughnut, and he went by the bookstore, suddenly needing nothing more than to feel it’s draw and allure. 

The bell gave him away when he entered, and he called out for Theo. Maggie was the first one to greet him, running from a nook in the corner, practically bouncing with every step.

“Hi!” Maggie exclaims, bouncing up and down now that she’s arrived in front of Liam. Her hair is braided into two long braids, and she’s wearing jeans and a hoodie with embroidered flowers on it. On her feet, she’s wearing bunny slippers that make a soft smacking sound as she bounces on the carpeted floor. 

“Hello, kiddo! How are we doing today?” Liam beams.

“Daddy’s getting a new book for me to read, he just went upstairs.”

“Thanks for telling me,” Liam responds, he drops his voice to a whisper, “I’ve got a sprinkled doughnut here with the name Maggie on it.”

Maggie’s smile splits her face, and Liam hands her the small doughnut box with the napkins he had stashed in his pocket from Sam’s. 

“Don’t make a mess, I don’t want your daddy to have my head.” Liam laughs, patting her shoulder as he stands up straight.

“Like Marie Antoinette?” Maggie leans her head to one side, eyebrows quirked.

Liam is once again taken off-guard by her knowledge, shocked, “yeah, like Marie Antoinette.”

Maggie bursts into laughter, holding up the doughnut box, “this isn’t cake!”

Liam giggles in response, shrugging, “no, not quite.”

Maggie shouts for her father as she enters the back apartment, and Liam is left to wait in the bookshop again. He walks around, the same way that he had the first day that he met Theo here, given the permission to look around in an unoccupied store. Back then, Liam had felt a fledgling curiosity as to why Theo had the authority to let him run loose in the empty store, but things were falling into place.

He’s not so much thinking as he is pointlessly wandering, not really taking in where he had ended up since Maggie left. His head is spinning with thoughts of his parents, who dislike his fiance, thoughts of said polarizing fiance, and thoughts of a kiss that brought him more feelings and buzzing than his relationship has brought in the last few months.

“I know what you’re probably thinking,” a quiet voice snaps the delicate silence, a gunshot through a pillow, and Liam finally really _sees_ the display in front of him: the pristinely well-kept roses that probably need to be replaced once each week, the small memorial to a lost loved one. He feels shame and wonders if it will be his dominating emotion for the rest of his trip, if it will be the heavy pit in his chest for the rest of his life.

Theo’s face is red when Liam turns around, his hair is messy and he’s wearing the bookshop’s uniform, the same apron with the clunky, embroidered letters. His voice is no more than a whisper, barely even that, and Liam wouldn’t even be able to hear it had someone driven past the shop, or took a breath that was slightly too deep. “Roses aren’t symbolic of love.”

Liam raises his eyebrows. In all truth, he hadn’t been thinking anything at all regarding the display, hadn’t even realized it was in front of him, but the obvious symbolism had stuck out to him the very first time he asked Theo about Ophelia. He isn’t sure how his own voice will sound when he responds, he’s suddenly too aware of its disuse and the scratchy dryness occupying his throat. “Privacy.” There is no surety or accusation, no question or waver, the word is simply stated the same way that he would say his name.

Theo looks caught, eyes wide and left hand trembling, though he’s making the attempt to hide the shaking. Liam is left to wonder when the last time was that Theo had been looked at like this, _seen_ like this. Theo nods, his body language conveying no sense of hostility like it had the last time, maybe a sense of defeat.

Liam steps forward, putting a soft hand on Theo’s cheek, forcing him to look him in the eyes. “You don’t have to tell me about her. You don’t owe me anything.”

Theo walks back, scoffing, “don’t owe you anything? You must think that I’m some pathetic single dad who will launch himself at anyone that he feels a connection to. I kissed you even though I knew you were engaged. An apology was just the start of what I owe you. I shouldn’t have-”

“Shh,” Liam once again stepped forward, pressing another clumsy, tender kiss on Theo’s cheek, “I think none of that.” Liam leaves without another word, placing Theo’s coffee in his still shaking fingers, walking out of the bookshop, away from the roses and the memorial, and away from the stranger who never even felt like a stranger to begin with.

It’s just reaching three o’clock when he gets back to his parents’ house, the sky is overcast and teases the possibility of rain later in the day. Liam lets David know that they’ll take the pictures meant for today another time, cloudy and dark pictures of a home for misplaced teenagers just wouldn’t send the right image of a safe, stable home. 

Liam grabs some salad for lunch, trying to hurry in order to meet his 4:15 meeting with Derek. Familiar footsteps walk down the stairs, though they sound foreign in this house, his childhood home that his fiance had never seen, or asked about until the day before. 

Joey walks up to Liam, wrapping him in a tight hug from above, placing three sweet kisses to the crown of Liam’s head. Liam looks up once he can, leaning in to give Joey a soft peck to the lips. 

“Hiya, baby,” Joey greets, sitting down next to Liam.

“Hi, Jojo,” Liam grins back, suddenly soothed by his fiance’s presence. 

“What are you doing today?” Joey asks nonchalantly, stealing a crouton from Liam’s salad.

“I’m going out to do some interviews.”

“Interviews?” Joey furrows his brow, trying to think back to his conversations with Liam over the past week.

“I totally forgot to mention it!” Liam confirms Joey’s suspicions, his fiance always has been an excellent listener, “I’m doing a mini-series on Beacon Hills, Mason suggested it.”

“That sounds so cool! I wish you would have told me about it sooner. That’s a great idea,” Joey grins, an excited twinkle in his eye. “By the way, will I get to meet Mason now that we’re here?”

“Totally,” Liam smiles back, easy and not-thinking.

“Sweet,” Joey nods, leaning forward to run his fingers through Liam’s hair. Liam groans into it, his eyes shutting as he tries to finish his salad. “Could I tag along with you?”

Liam cracks an eye, a skeptical look masking his features, “I’m not sure, Jojo. This one’s not a tourist attraction, it’s gonna be a spotlight area.”

“I could still tag along to help, maybe? I overheard that you weren’t taking any pictures today.”

Liam thinks about it for a moment. He really doesn’t think he should bring Joey along, in hopes that if he went alone it would make Derek feel more comfortable. He conceded the moment Joey puts on the puppy-dog eyes, “okay, fine. No trouble-making, though. This is a really important one.”

“Scout’s honour,” Joey promises, giving a goofy nod. Liam playfully slaps his arm, giggling, “go get dressed, we have to leave by 3:50.”

“Okay, fine!” Joey makes a scene of huffing overdramatically, throwing his arms down to imitate how a child would throw a tantrum. Liam giggles, having to take a sip of his water to avoid choking on a stray strip of lettuce. 

Liam finishes up his salad and uses the same ingredients he had used in his salad to make Joey a mason jar salad, knowing he’d probably be hungry on the way there if he hasn’t already eaten. He takes the time to pour some of the Starbucks cold brew from the fridge into two reusable bottles, topping his with caramel creamer and Joey’s with oat milk. 

Joey is down in no time, wearing dark, black jeans, one of Liam's hoodies, and a light-washed jean jacket over top of it. Liam laughs, throwing a crumpled up paper towel in Joey’s direction.

“We get it! You’re the fashion influencer.”

Joey lets out a surprised laugh, throwing the paper towel back at Liam. “Not my fault that your wardrobe looks like you cleaned out the clearance section of a Nike outlet most days.”

Liam smiles, throwing the paper towel out and handing Joey his drink and salad, receiving a gracious kiss in return. He takes his own coffee and grabs the keys, knowing that the two of them will have to drive to the Hale Home since it’s closer to downtown than it is uptown. 

The drive is mostly chewing sounds from Joey’s salad and the two of them singing goofy duets to whatever’s on the radio. Mostly just the two of them trying to do falsetto to mimic Ariana Grande. The drive isn’t long at all, and they arrive early like Liam had hoped they would.

He parks the car in the parking lot just at the edge of the preserve, the Hale Home fully visible in its portion of the clearing. It’s beautiful, and Liam’s honestly surprised that he had never seen it while living in Beacon Hills. It was huge and inviting, and while it was a mansion, and definitely super expensive, it also looked welcoming. The warm light coming from the window was a stark contrast to the dark grey tone the sky had taken on. 

Liam walks up to the door, knocking only softly, and seeing someone make an approach on the other side of the frosted glass panel. Derek offers a warm smile when he opens the door, opening it for Liam to step inside.

“Hey, Liam! How are you doing?” Derek greets, his face suddenly confused when he catches sight of Joey trailing behind. 

“Hi, Derek! Nice to see you again,” Liam responds, motioning to Joey, “this is Joey, my fiance.”

Derek’s face drops, and he makes the same indescribable expression that he had when Liam first met him two nights ago. He still offers his hand for Joey to shake, but the smile is much tighter.

“So, uh, what do you have in mind for the series?” Derek asks.

“I was thinking that you and I could do an interview, where we’d discuss how this all started and the first kids that you had here. Then maybe interview one or two of the teens that live here now, if that would be alright? I’m also gonna do an interview with Corey since he was one of the first few here,” Liam explains, Derek nodding the whole time.

“Sure, that sounds good to me. I’ve spoken to most of the people who were here when I started this, and most of them are comfortable with being mentioned by name, and I have consent to tell you their ages when they started living here. As for the kids, I think I have one that would be comfortable with speaking with you, and then you could speak to a few of the people who help out around here, if you’d like.”

“That sounds great,” Liam smiles, “thank you so much for letting me do this, by the way.”

Derek smiles, but it still looks tight and forced, “no, thank you. I hope the exposure could do the kids around here well.”

Liam and Joey are escorted to the kitchen by Derek, and they decide that Liam will stay and interview Derek, and Joey will interview Alec, an eighteen-year-old that has been living in the home since he was sixteen. Liam sits down in front of Derek, pulling out his phone to record and take notes. 

“Alright, so, let’s start at the beginning.”

Derek clears his throat, “so I got this idea when I was sixteen. My younger sister, Cora, and I were both in and out of our uncle’s house. It kind of depended on whether he needed our help or not. He has since apologized, and the three of us get along, but at the time I had realized that we weren’t the only ones without stability in Beacon Hills.”

Liam nods, and he’s grateful when Derek pauses so he can finish the notes.

“So, I turned eighteen and spent half of my inheritance on turning the rubble of our old house into a home for troubled teens. I didn’t want it to have the clinical vibe that most orphanages have, and I didn’t really want it to feel like an orphanage either. All the kids who live here that are under eighteen are eligible for adoption, but I wanted to make this place feel like a real home, like a real family, so that the kids wouldn’t feel like they _had_ to be adopted. Because here they had friends who ended up being as close as siblings, and the adults around here: myself, Braeden, Peter, Melissa, and sometimes even your parents if they came around to help, we tried to be the closest thing possible to parents for them.”

Liam smiles at the idea, nodding along as Derek continues.

“When I was in my mid-twenties, I finally got the house finished, and all of the legal documentation and checks that were required. You would’ve been in high school then, since you seem to know so many of the kids that were here when I opened the Hale Home. The first kids to stay here were Isaac, Erica, Boyd, Corey, Brett, Lori, and another pair of siblings. Isaac, Erica, and Boyd started living here when they were all sixteen, eventually, Isaac was adopted by Chris Argent, but Boyd and Erica stayed here until they were both nineteen, and they decided to leave for New York together. They still visit like twice a year, and they pledge regular donations. Corey and Brett were also sixteen when they started staying here, about a year after Isaac, Erica, and Boyd first got here. Corey was really shy until-”

Derek’s abrupt stop forces Liam to look up from what he’s writing, but Derek doesn’t bother providing further context to his slip-up.

“Corey was really shy until he made friends with another kid here, and Brett and Isaac were troublemakers. Still are, if I’m being honest. Lori was thirteen, and it took her a while to warm up to everyone, but once she did, she loved it here. She regularly forces the rest of the first-gen group back here for dinner, at least once or twice a year. The siblings had arrived here the year before, just months after Isaac, Boyd, and Erica had arrived. The oldest was eighteen, and I hadn’t planned on taking anyone in if they were eighteen or older, but she had no way of supporting her and her brother, who was only fifteen at the time.”

Derek stops for a breath, considering what else he should add. 

“The seven of them were thick-as-thieves, and they grew to be as close real siblings are. They all still keep in touch, with me and each other, and I’m really proud of how far they’ve all come. Some of them had been broken and scared, or insecure and overcompensating when they first arrived, but I truly feel like they all made this place a safe space, and they were always assuring each other that they never had to be anyone but themselves. I look at them, and I can see that my original idea was successful, even if one of them had expressed wanting a ‘normal life’, they were always there, like siblings, to show that family doesn’t have to mean blood. Most of all, they’re all happy, now, and that’s all I could ever ask for.”

Derek has the cheesiest grin on his face when he’s finished, and Liam can’t help but mirror the expression. Not many people would take their trauma, loneliness, and pain, and turn it into something so beautiful, something that meant that nobody would ever have to go through the same thing, at least not in Beacon Hills. Liam is overwhelmed with something fuzzy inside, and he’s overwhelmingly glad that Corey had someplace like this to go after the school had found out about his parents’ neglect.

“Thank you so much for sharing all that with me,” Liam says, genuinely, “What you’re doing here is amazing. Let me know if you ever need any donations, I’d be more than happy to help.”

Derek laughs, shaking his head, “the exposure is enough, honestly, I appreciate it. This place is still running on my inheritance, and it’ll probably be like that for at least another decade or two.”

Liam smiles, “well, whatever you need, I promise I’ll do my best to help.”

“Thanks, Liam,” Derek’s smile goes very serious, suddenly, “while I still have you, I just wanted to mention that it’s probably not the best idea to lead people on. Especially someone like Theo.”

Liam’s eyes widen, his mouth dropping open, “what?”

Before Derek can elaborate, Joey is descending the huge staircase next to the entrance, his phone in-hand. 

“Alec’s a really sweet kid,” Joey beams, “funny, too.”

Derek chuckles, nodding, but again, his demeanour feels increasingly forced. “Alec’s a firecracker, never know what he’s gonna say, but it keeps things interesting.”

“I’m sure,” Joey laughs in return, motioning to his phone. 

“Nolan and Brett aren’t in right now, but they’re the ones who help around here most often, other than Stiles, Scott, and Melissa, of course.” Derek brings his phone out, checking his calendar, “they should be here the next time you come by if you’d like to interview them after taking the pictures.”

“Thanks, that’d be great,” Liam agrees, his previously cheerful demeanour having been lost as a victim to confusion. “I’ll be back in the next few days, hopefully. Thanks for the interviews, Derek.”

“My pleasure,” Derek smiles as he unlocks the door for Liam and Joey, “I’ll see you soon.”

“You too.”

Liam had a visible frown on his face when he walked out, Joey intertwining their fingers. 

“Everything alright, babe?”

Liam nods, though it’s convincing to neither of them, “yeah, just fine, Jojo.”

Joey sends him a weird look, reaching for the keys, “I’ll drive, alright?”

Liam smiles, cupping the side of Joey’s face with his hand, “thanks, baby.”

Liam checks his phone, meticulously reading through the notes he took, visualizing the parts that would work best as quotes and which would work best as paraphrasing. A text vibrates his phone, barely even noticeable due to his concentration and the natural wobbling of the car’s movement. 

_**Corey:** did u break theo? Bc he left a voicemail pretty much bawling his eyes out this morning_

_**Corey:** and dont mention this to him, he'd be embarrassed if you knew that i told you, but i need to know what happened_

_**Corey:** he said something about roses and walls, ringing any bells?_

_**Corey:** i s2g liam, if you broke my best friend i’ll have to break you. Not kidding._

Liam thought that social media and _Loey_ were the worst part about his phone, but lately, it’s caused him far more problems in his personal life than it has his online persona. Liam just sends back a shrugging emoji and a simple ‘idk’, not really knowing what to say. Liam didn’t really understand, not entirely, how his simple words had done so much. 

Theo’s been alone for a while, a few years, based on the evidence Liam’s seen. If Liam's only company had been a kid for the last five years, he’d probably cry too if someone took the time to finally read him. Self-destruction has many faces, and Liam’s just lucky that he could recognize it in the form of red roses.


	11. love and war are not the same

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mason finally gets to meet Joey.

Liam didn’t want to be in the house at all, not even a little bit, but Joey was already awake when he woke up and he would want to tag along. All Liam really wants is to see Theo, but Joey would probably get jealous and make assumptions like he does sometimes. 

Joey isn’t all bad, nobody ever really is. In fact, Joey could be really sweet and caring, and he always listened to Liam and tried to do his best to make Liam happy. When Liam met Joey they were younger, and Joey was only just starting out in his career. Liam had a pretty big following by that point, and the first few months of their relationship were spent with Liam mentoring Joey on how to build a personal brand and how to stay dedicated. Joey’s recognition did eventually pick up, and Liam couldn’t have been happier for him. A year and a half later is when Joey would finally propose. So, yeah. Liam could love Joey and still not want him around sometimes. Or, at least that’s what he thinks.

Liam is all nervous energy, terrified of the dinner that he is meant to be having with Mason only hours from now. This would be the first time that his best friend has ever met his fiance, and it’s scary to think that Mason may not like Joey after all this time.

Joey had been on the phone for a while, apparently talking to Lisa, his agent. Liam wasn’t too sure what it was about, only hearing glimpses of words through the thin walls. Since Joey had arrived, Liam had been feeling an increasing amount of guilt in his chest. _Theo kissed him. Theo kissed him and it had felt really fucking good._ He didn’t kiss back, though, and that surely must mean something. He didn’t initiate the kiss or kiss back, so could he be absolved of the blame? Liam’s conscious said no, of course, because things could never just be easy. 

Dinner doesn’t come fast enough, and Liam feels like the day is just dragging on, each minute longer than the last. Finally, at 5:30, he is dressed and ready, just waiting for Joey to finish up. He sends Theo a text, something random about some book he had read recently, and just the _’Read at 5:32’_ is enough to get Liam to smile. 

Joey takes a long time to get ready, and by the time that they’re pulling up at the restaurant, they’re ten minutes late. Liam tries to rush Joey, explaining how urgent it is for them to get in, but Joey takes him time getting his things before joining Liam. 

When Liam first locks eyes with Mason, his best friend’s eyebrows are raised in amusement, hailing them over. He eyes Joey up and down when Joey is introducing himself to Corey, something that Liam catches out of the corner of his eye, and Mason has an unreadable expression on his face when he finally introduces himself to Joey. 

They sit down, Mason and Corey exchanging a look so quick that Liam’s almost certain Joey couldn’t have even detected it. 

The table is silent, save for fidgeting and the sounds of menu pages turning, until a waitress finally comes to take their orders. The only sounds for moments after are the sipping of drinks. Joey is eyeing the drink in front of him warily.

Mason clears his throat, “we ordered you a coke. We figured it was the safe option since Liam drinks so much of it.” Mason laughs, motioning to Liam’s half-finished drink.

Joey smiles, though it doesn’t feel genuine, and Liam, having known Joey for so long, can spot that it truly isn’t. “Thanks, but I don’t drink anything carbonated.”

“Oh.”

Again, the table is silent, awkwardly so. Mason is playing with his straw while Corey is repeatedly looking around awkwardly, making a strange face. 

“So, Joey, what’s the influencer life like?” Corey starts, a smile on his face.

“It’s good,” Joey replies, not even looking up from the table.

“Cool,” Corey makes the face again, practically radiating awkward energy, “cool.”

There are several similar attempts made throughout the meal, Mason and Corey trying to start conversation while Joey responds simplistically. It gets under Liam’s skin the way that his fiance isn’t even trying to get along with his best friend. By the time dinner is over Liam can practically feel the heat of Mason’s indiscernible gaze, squirming under it. He sees Mason grab his phone for a moment, acting like he’s showing something to Corey, but he knows differently when he feels the vibration of his phone in his back pocket. Liam doesn’t reach for it, sure that he already knows what it’s going to say. 

After Liam pays the bill and they’re all ready to leave, Liam purposely avoids Mason’s eyes, his judgment, because in the end he _knows_ that whatever Mason’s thinking is right. He’s certain of it, but that doesn’t mean that he wants to hear it. 

Liam waves off Mason and Corey once they’ve started their car and begun to leave the parking lot, waving until he’s sure they can’t see him before turning to Joey, rage bubbling under his skin. Joey is on his phone, smiling at something on the screen. 

“Joey, are you serious?” Liam asks, anger evident in his voice.

“What do you mean?” Joey feigns innocence, an easier game than admitting to wrong-doing.

“You just met my best friend for the first time. My actual best friend ever. And you didn’t even try to get to know him.” Liam has to look away from his fiance to try to control his temper. 

“Liam, he’s not _my_ friend. I don’t have to act like he is. Did you expect me to want to be his friend too?” Joey has started shouting, a tactic he’s been using in arguments for as long as Liam’s remembered to try to trigger Liam’s anger. Because after all, if Liam has an episode he’s automatically the wrong party in any argument, _apparently_. 

Liam starts taking deep breaths out of his mouth. “No, but I at least expected you to try.”

Joey laughs, _he laughs_ and sneers in Liam’s face, “oh, and why is that?”

“Because if I had to choose between you and him, guess what? I’d choose him!”

Joey looks taken aback, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “Yeah, well, maybe you should.”

Liam grabs the car keys from his pocket and tosses them in Joey’s general direction, not caring when they clatter to the floor. “Maybe I will.” 

Liam storms from the parking lot, fire in his veins and a heart that’s beating far too fast. The chilly air in his lungs brings him to a safe point in his anger, but he knows exactly what will calm him down. Or, more accurately, _who_ will calm him down.

It’s only eight o’clock, so the bookstore would probably still be open. Theo had mentioned that he puts the _’closed’_ sign up for half an hour around 7:30 so he could put Maggie to sleep, and he would usually re-open for an hour once he finished. When Liam finally rounds the corner, the neon sign above the green door is flashing _’open’_ , and Liam can feel some of the tension leave from his body.

He bursts through the door with a determination that causes the bell above it to ring much louder and much longer, and Theo immediately looks in Liam’s direction from behind the counter. Liam can’t see his own face, of course, but there must be something that Theo sees that causes him to kick into action. Theo’s brows lower as he looks away from Liam to look at Maggie, who’s sitting on the counter.

“Hey, baby. Wann sleepover with Auntie Tara and Auntie Tracy tonight?” Theo smiles, leaning down to be at eye level with Maggie. 

“Of course!” Maggie yells, pumping a fist up, “they’re way funner than you.” 

Theo laughs, “you think that I’m no fun? Because I can be no fun if you wanna see.”

Maggie crosses her arms and huffs, “fine.”

Theo turns around to grab his phone, completely missing the way that Maggie sticks her tongue out as soon as her dad turns around. Liam laughs, walking up to the counter to greet Maggie while Theo leaves to take a phone call. 

“Hey, Maggie. What have you been up to all day?”

Maggie’s face lights up, and she motions with her hands for Liam to come closer. He does, and he helps her dismount from the counter, softly placing her on the ground. She bolts away as soon as she can, running to a corner of the shop that’s just out of sight. She comes back with a drawing, holding it up for Liam to see.

Liam beams, taking the drawing from her to get a closer look. “This is amazing, Maggie! What did you draw?”

Maggie laughs, “it’s Dorothy and Toto, silly!”

Liam smiles, turning the paper around and squinting, “you’re right, how could I have missed that?”

Maggie grins, “you should draw with me!”

Liam hands Maggie her drawing back, nodding, “I would be honoured to draw with you sometime, Maggie.”

Maggie jumps up and down, evidently excited, just as Theo walks out, grinning at the two of them. “Mags, I’m gonna take you to the flower shop, you still have all of your overnight stuff over there, right?”

Maggie nods, “auntie Tracy washed my pajamas last time I stayed over.”

Theo smiles, “alright, kiddo. Come put on your shoes and your coat and we’ll walk over. Do you want to bring a book?”

Maggie puts her finger up to her chin like she’s deep in thought, no-doubt mimicking the philosophers on the cover of the textbooks that are near the front of the store. “Alice In Wonderland?”

Theo smiles, “your wish is my command.”

Theo reaches underneath the counter, retrieving the novel, and then he puts on his coat, his shoes already on. He patiently waits for Maggie, giving her three high-fives after she successfully ties both of her laces, and then he holds her hand, walking towards the door. 

When Theo passes Liam, he simply gives him a parting _”be right back_. Liam nods, going to sit at one of the tables near the front of the store.

Theo is back in under ten minutes, humming in a chipper manner when he enters. He turns around and locks the door, flipping the neon sign to indicate the closing of the store. He passes Liam again, then drapes his jacket over the counter. At the door to the apartment, he turns around, an amused look on his face, “aren’t you coming?”

Liam laughs before standing up, obediently following Theo into the back. 

Liam sits down at the kitchen table, and watches the flexing of Theo’s back muscles as he reaches up on a high shelf to retrieve two wine glasses, placing them down on the table. He reaches into the fridge and comes out with a bottle of vodka and two cans of ginger ale. 

He wordlessly pours each drink, sliding one in front of Liam, the other in front of himself. Once he’s sat down, he makes eye contact with Liam. “Drink, then talk.”

Again obedient, Liam downs the drink like it’s water in less than thirty seconds, finishing with a quiet smack. Theo takes a sip of his own drink before looking at Liam expectantly, already pouring him a second drink. Just like that, Liam’s spilling his guts.

An hour later, Liam has pretty much summarized his entire relationship with Joey, and every feeling he has ever had regarding the two of them and their relationship. Theo disclosed some advice, cryptically saying that he ‘may be biased’, essentially saying the same things that Liam would have expected from Mason. Liam deserves to be happy, Joey and him are different people, _blah, blah, blah_. Liam doesn’t like to be wrong, but he does appreciate Theo’s advice and tells him as much. 

An hour later and they are also completely drunk, making stupid jokes and exchanging stories. They might have swam into dangerous waters, Liam thinks, when Theo starts telling stories about Ophelia. Lost love really can’t be easy, but to see how smitten Theo could be six years after Ophelia’s death makes Liam rethink things with Joey all over again.

“She’s a florist, right? So I thought I should play up the whole flower thing when I text her, so I sent her a text that said _”I’m so thorny_.” Theo doubles over, giggling at himself. “And then I had the audacity to wonder why she blocked me. It took me weeks to convince her to add me back.”

Completely drunk off their asses, they laugh hysterically, even if the joke wouldn’t be even half as funny in a sober state. When their laughter has died down, Theo’s face goes very serious, and he looks at Liam like he’s scared. 

“Do you want to know what happened?” Theo asks, his eyes glossing over.

Liam shakes his head, suddenly a pinch more sober than he had been moments ago, though he can still feel the burn of the vodka in the back of his throat. “You don’t have to tell me anything. I don’t want you to tell me things that you’ll regret in the morning.”

Theo shrugs, “I mean, I guess it’s not much of a secret anyway. We tried to get the news to cover it.” 

Liam nods hesitantly, “you don’t have to tell me anything that you’d be uncomfortable with saying.”

“Thanks,” Theo gives a smile that doesn’t meet his eyes, somehow still conveying gratefulness. “She had depression, postpartum depression.” Theo stops when his voice breaks, clearing his throat. “We had a newborn baby and we were dealing with all of that, and I tried to get her help. I tried to convince her.”

Liam scoots his chair forward to reach for Theo’s hand, rubbing circles over his knuckles. 

“She ended up going, but I didn’t go to the appointments with her, I stayed here with Maggie so that Ophelia could go. You read all the time about things that happen in the healthcare system, you know? But you never expect anything like that to happen to you.” Theo’s crying now, slow tears streaming down his face. Liam wants to reach up to wipe them away, but that would be too intimate, he thinks. “The family doctor wouldn’t even give her a referral. When she finally found someone, the councilors just ignored her, they thought that she was just being overdramatic. We read about racism and all that stuff in the papers, pretty much all the time, but I never thought,” Theo chokes down a sob, “I never thought it would happen to us. I should have been there, and I should have advocated for her when she couldn’t do it for herself.”

Liam surges forward to wrap Theo up in his arms, hugging him tight and rocking him softly as sobs wracked his body. 

“I should have been there for her and I couldn’t be. She was so sad and I thought that I was doing everything, but I could’ve done more.”

Liam responds with calm sushing, trying to calm Theo down. He pets a hand over Theo’s head, the other rubbing up and down his back, trying to calm down the loud sobbing, trying to get Theo to finally breathe. They sit there, rocking back and forth together until Theo can finally take in some deep breaths, guided by Liam and his own deep-breathing. 

Liam pulls away, but only enough to look at Theo, whose red-eyed and puffy by now, tear tracks down his cheeks. “For what it’s worth, I think that you did everything you could, Theo. You were only nineteen. The system is broken, and that’s not your fault.”

A few stray tears start to fall again, and this time, Liam takes the opportunity to wipe them away, so tenderly that it makes something in Theo’s heart hurt. Liam leans back in to give Theo another hug, before getting up and picking up their glasses. “I’ll do the dishes, you go take a shower, alright?”

Theo nods, avoiding Liam’s eye contact. Liam knows better than anyone the kind of shame that comes after vulnerability, the inherent embarrassment of baring your soul, and he moves both of the glasses to one hand. With his newly freed hand, he tips Theo’s face up with two fingers under his chin, smiling softly, “I don’t think any less of you for telling me all that. Just thought you should know.” 

Theo sniffles, quirking one side of his mouth, finally meeting Liam’s eyes. “Thanks, Liam.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took forever to update this! I was hoping to get this finished before the holiday season ended, but we're in the home stretch now. Only seven chapters left!


	12. I'm a ghost of you, you're a ghost of me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam wakes up, metaphorically speaking.

Liam wakes up to a warm body plastered to his side like a second skin. The scent is not as familiar as Joey’s, he’s spent years waking up next to him, by now he would know. The scent is, however, not _completely_ unfamiliar. Liam’s expecting a much worse headache when he opens his eyes, especially considering the fact that he barely remembers the night before, but the light isn’t painful, the headache only dull. 

Soft, curly brown hair tickles his nose, smelling sweetly of strawberry shampoo. Strong arms are wrapped around his waist, and he feels safe in a way that he’s not used to. Liam tries to pull away slowly, as to not wake up the sleeping body attached to him, and he manages to get out with less than a stir. 

Theo’s face is soft and completely free of creases or worry lines. He looks content, but Liam figures that it’s not quite fair to describe him as such considering the fact that he’s asleep. It’s not necessarily happiness if he’s not awake to feel it.

Liam finally looks down, first at himself and then Theo, relieved that they’re both completely clothed as the night comes flooding back to him. Theo opened up to him, and from how Corey’s described it he doesn’t do that all too often, if at all. Theo opened up, the two of them drank a little more, they watched a movie, and they may have shared another kiss, or two. 

Liam’s sudden clarity sets lose a domino effect of panic and remorse, and he knocks over a remote in his haste to move, _to leave_. Theo’s eyes shoot open, starkly green and panicked before they finally settle on Liam, softening in a way that convinces Liam that he has to leave, _**now.**_

“G’morning,” Theo smiles sleepily, so cute and warm in the pale light of the winter sun. 

Liam backs up as if he had been caught doing something terrible, one hand behind his back to feel for when he hits the wall. “I have to- I gotta go.”

Liam turns around and bolts for it the moment his back meets the doorframe, not even stopping when he hears Theo calling him back, shouting apologies and other words that it’s probably too early to dissect the meaning of.

Liam is faced with the sudden reality that he is without his car, and he takes the opportunity to run, his lungs burning with the need to inhale and the shame of what he’d done. _Liam just runs._

He didn’t know where he was going, initially. He wasn’t doing any thinking, just letting his feet take him along the broken sidewalks and the snowy pathways. He passed people in his haste, most of whom looked towards him like he had lost his mind. Maybe he had, honestly. He left all sense in Theo’s bed, under the sweet morning sun when his heart was beating quicker than he figured was healthy. 

That begs the question: _if Liam can pinpoint the moment that he lost his mind, when did he lose his heart?_ When did he decide to define love as obligation and dread? When was it that Liam decided he’d settle down with Joey despite their lack of spark, and why did he ever think that they were like every other couple, even when he’d seen true love all around him?

He runs past Sam’s, past the preserve, past the publishing firm, and after running, and running, and running, Liam collapses on the front steps of his best friend’s house. He’s too busy trying to take deep breaths to realize that Corey and Mason were already outside, three mugs of hot chocolate on the table between the chairs they sat in. Their expressions are on opposite ends of the amusement spectrum, and it’s better, for Liam’s sake, that he can’t see Corey’s face. 

“I told you he’d come here,” Mason says, quiet enough as to not startle Liam.

Liam looks back at them, wide-eyed and still panting a little, his shoulders rising and falling rhythmically with his breaths.

Corey eyes Liam, glaring in a way that is made so much more terrifying considering Corey’s constant lack of malice. “I want to kick your ass so bad right now, dumbass.”

Liam sighs, looking down at his hands, his shame obvious in the air between them. 

Corey mimics Liam, sighing in response, and Liam can hear him move closer, “but I also want to give you a hug.” Corey flops down next to Liam on the step, softly lifting Liam's head and cradling it to his shoulder before rubbing the hand up and down his back.

“I’m sorry,” Liam speaks, feeling like it’s the only thing that will ever come out. “I’m really sorry.”

Corey shakes his head, and Liam feels Mason join them, sitting on his other side. “You messed up, Li, but we know you’ll make the right decisions.”

Liam suddenly feels one of Mason’s warm hands reaching out to open his clenched fist, placing a warm mug in his cold fingers.

Liam groans, pulling at his hair with his free hand. He eyes the drink before taking a sip, the warmth filling him up, contrasting the cold winter chill. Once he’s finished, he puts the mug on the porch behind them, out of reach so none of them would accidentally knock it down. “I know. I know i messed up, but things just feel so hard all of a sudden.” 

“Well, easiness has never been equivalent to happiness,” Corey says it like it's a fact, like it’s not something that Liam just discovered half an hour ago. It’s partially infuriating. Corey’s gaze softened moments ago, but something changes in his expression that puts a tamper on Liam’s guilt, though only momentarily. “I just need you to promise me that you’ll apologize to Theo or something. I’m not asking for anything else other than that and your happiness.”

“We both want you to be happy, Liam.” The tone of Mason’s voice might be Liam’s least favourite. Mason's only ever used that voice when he wanted to break bad news, all awkward and uncomfortable. It forces Liam to look up, a weary and tired expression on his face. Mason stares back knowingly as if the expression conveys the truth of the words to follow. 

Liam nods, defeated, ready to hear Mason’s two-cents.

“Joey doesn’t make you happy.” Yet another infuriating fact that itches under Liam’s skin, though this time he’s not sure he would have fully reached the same conclusion on his own.

Liam looks crestfallen despite the honesty, “Joey does make me happy. He listens, and he buys me flowers, and-”

“And things are easy. It’s easy for you to just go along with everything. It was always easier to say ‘yes’ than it was to say ‘no’, but like Corey said, easy isn’t happy.” Mason has never bothered to be anything but absolutely honest with Liam, and while he did appreciate it, it always complicated things, sometimes it hurt, even. This was definitely one of those times.

Liam feels somber, a pit of dread in his stomach. Mason’s words acted as his proverbial raincloud, now raining cats and dogs on his head. 

“And Theo,” Corey’s voice cracks, he stops to clear his throat. His voice is suddenly lower, like he’s scared of being overheard despite the fact that only the three of them were around. “Don’t tell Theo that I’m telling you this, but he and his sister were living downtown before they found the Hale House. They were homeless, barely eating enough on a good day. When his parents kicked him out, he was certain that he was never going to have a place, never going to have _his_ people. It was just him and Tara. So, yeah, running out on him the morning after he spilled his guts to you about his late wife was probably not a great idea.”

It suddenly makes sense, Theo and Tara having been the mysterious siblings that Derek had mentioned, Theo being the one to bring Corey out of his shell. All of these clues, all of these bits and pieces and silhouettes and mysteries, they all seemed to lead to Theo. Liam had glimpses, and pieces of a bigger puzzle, but he had yet to put them all together. _Until now._

Liam groans, putting his face in his hands. “I’m so fucking dumb.”

“Just a little bit,” Mason laughs.

Liam can’t even find it in him to flip Mason off.

Corey laughs, "if you want my advice, avoid Derek Hale for the foreseeable future."

Liam brings his head up, making sudden, intense eye contact with Corey. “I’ll fix this. I will, I promise. I’ll fix this all.”

Liam stands from the porch, walking backwards to look at Mason and Corey both. “I’m going to fix this!”

Liam doesn’t even catch the two of them asking him if he’d like a ride, he’s suddenly running again, back to his house this time.

Joey is sitting on the porch, head in his hands when Liam gets to the end of the driveway, and Liam stops, pulling out his phone. He clicks the power button once, twice, three times, before the image on the screen shows an empty battery and a charger. He sighs, heat and shame having brewed a strange sense of nausea within him.

Liam walks up the driveway, the pitter-patter of his boots alerting Joey of his arrival. Liam’s thoughts are so loud that he can practically hear them: _your parents don’t like him_ , _you’re both different people now_ , _Mason didn’t like him_ , and the loudest of all: _**Theo**_.

Joey smiles, but it’s nervous and hesitant. “Liam, I’m so glad you’re back. I-”

“No, Joey, I have something I need to tell you,” Liam says with words that are no harsher than they need to be. He sounds exhausted, and he’s sure that he looks more hungover than he feels considering his abrupt exit from Theo’s followed by his mad dash back home. 

Joey’s eyes are pleading, it’s almost like he knows what’s coming.

“This isn’t working.” It’s best to cut to the chase, Liam figures, there’s no need to sugar-coat things anymore. "I think that _this,_ ” Liam points between himself and Joey, “this is like La La Land.”

Joey takes a shuddering breath, but Liam goes on, “Let me make myself clear, I don’t and will never blame you for wanting to further your career, but that’s just not what I want anymore.” Joey isn’t looking at him now, and Liam can see the way that he’s shaking. He can’t bring himself to reach out.

“Are you saying you don’t love me because I want more for my career? Because I want the promise of stability? That’s real reach coming from Mr. Two Million Followers!” Joey yells, getting riled up. Liam can see now as he clenches his fists, as he tries to conceal his vulnerabilities.

“I’m saying the opposite!” Liam sighs, deflating. “Joey, I love you. I do. I probably always will, but our love was never the kind of love that a marriage needs. Our love is pure, and simple, and it was real, I will never deny that, but we wouldn’t have lasted. Five months after we started dating I noticed that you wouldn’t smile when I woke you up, like you used to, and I don’t blame you for that. _I can’t._ Because I stopped smiling at my phone when I heard your ringtone the month after. We just want different things, and I hope that you find someone that wants the same things as you one day.”

Joey brings his face up, his eyes watery and his teeth bared. His voice is hoarse, and barely above a whisper, “Liam, please.”

“Joey, we’re at different places now, and I don’t hate you for that, so I hope you won’t hate me either.” Liam doesn’t remember when he had started crying, but warm tears start to streak down his cheeks. “I don’t want to focus on my career anymore, but I understand that you do.”

Joey’s both shaking and crying, very evidently trying to get ahold of his vulnerability, suddenly uncomfortable with Liam seeing any of it, _seeing him raw_.

“Fine, Liam. I don’t fucking care. I’ll leave now and have someone come to ship my stuff to me. Mail me the ring.” Joey’s voice is cold, and his glare is too, but the rest of his body, including his eyes, betrays him completely. He checks his pockets, pulling out his keys, wallet, and phone. “Bye Liam.”

With that, Joey walks to his car, the soft pattering of his feet on the driveway echoing like bombs in Liam’s ears. Is that it? Years of dating, nearly an entire year of being engaged, and all they leave with is anger and an unwillingness to listen? It feels wrong, but then again, it’s felt wrong for months, _maybe even years_. So maybe it should come as less of a shock to Liam when Joey pulls out of the driveway and he finally feels like he can breathe.


	13. The past is a corridor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into the Theo of the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the time jumps, didn't really know how else to do it!
> 
> Trigger warning for mentions of racism and suicide.

**Beacon Hills, California.**

**_Six Years ago_**

Eighteen. 

Theo is finally eighteen, and he doesn’t feel any different, doesn’t feel any wiser. _It’s almost like he was seventeen just yesterday._

Jokes aside, he always believed that eighteen would feel different, somehow. Like maybe one day he would wake up and he would finally just be able to understand everything, maybe he’d have all the answers. Instead he just wakes up, no different from the previous day, though a little extra tired considering the absolutely heinous hour that the rest of the household decides to wake him up at.

He quite literally jumps out of bed at the sound of loud horns and cheering, his heart going a mile a minute. When he’s over the initial fear and shock, eyes wide and cheeks slightly pink, he takes in his surroundings. 

Corey and Tara are leaning over Theo, wide smiles on their faces. Tara is holding an airhorn, because of course she had to scare the ever-loving shit out of him first thing in the morning. Corey is just holding a normal horn, the kind you blow into that doesn’t make ear-piercing amounts of noise. Behind them is the rest of the household, all grinning widely at him. Derek has that weirdly proud, kind of fatherly expression on his face that embarrasses all of the members of the household when they are the subject of said look. Theo has to look away before he blushes, annoyed that such normalcy could bring him such easy mortification.

“Happy birthday!” Isaac is the first to shout, pushing himself between Corey and Tara. Brett isn’t far behind, the two of them making Tara and Corey seem nearly comically short next to them. 

“Hi,” Theo responds sleepily, his mind not yet all there.

The room bursts into laughter, Tara staring down fondly at her brother. She leans down, and in an act of affection that the two don’t normally share, she presses a kiss to his forehead. “Happy birthday, baby brother.”

Theo smiles up at her, “thanks.”

Theo over-exaggerates his facial expression for a second, making it go serious despite his urge to laugh, “so, do I have to move out now?”

Derek looks taken aback, stammering for a moment, his expression confused. “Uh- Theo?”

Theo can’t help it, and he bursts into laughter, the rest of the room following suit, “it’s alright, Der. I know you’d never kick us out.” Theo points up at Isaac and Brett, “I mean, these knuckleheads are of-age and you still let them live here.”

“Hey!” Isaac exclaims, flicking Theo in the side of the head. 

Theo laughs as Brett starts to wrestle with him, pinning Theo so Isaac can administer birthday beats. 

“Alright, alright. Quit being toddlers, Theo has a birthday breakfast to get to.” Derek pipes up, dragging Isaac back by his elbow. 

Brett huffs, letting Theo go after ruffling his hair, “fine, dad.”

Derek laughs, locking eyes with Theo, “you coming?”

“Yeah,” Theo nods, smiling, “be down in a second.”

Theo doesn’t gain any knowledge, none at all, really, but he does gain a whole bunch of lottery tickets and the ability to legally drink in Quebec. Why Corey felt that important to mention is beyond him, though.

Breakfast is French toast, his favourite, and he opens gifts from his friends and Derek, expressing his appreciation. Despite his verbal gratitude, he can’t help but think that the words aren’t enough. Because, while he sits at the breakfast table, surrounded by the family that he never thought he’d get to have, he’s reminded that he might be one of the luckiest people alive. Even though he appreciates the gifts, and the breakfast, and the birthday wishes, what he appreciates most of all are the people around him. Even though it might be the cheesiest thing to ever say.

After breakfast, Theo gets a bunch of offers on how to spend his day, though he chooses one that nobody could have quite expected. When everyone’s looking at him for a response after all expressing their offers, he looks sure, already, that he knows where he wants to go.

“I want to go with Tara to work.”

“What? Why?” Corey asks, brows furrowed. 

“Uh,” Theo’s face goes very red, _very quickly_ , “I like flowers?”

“You’re a chump,” Brett teases, flicking Theo between the eyebrows, “get dressed. Corey, Isaac, and I’ll come with you so you have something to do afterwards.”

Theo nods, not saying anything else so he won’t incriminate himself, then follows Brett’s commands.

Theo spends the next hour buzzing with excitement. Brett takes forever to get dressed, and he’s forced to sit on the armchair in the living room, his legs bouncing with anticipation. At some point, Corey turns on the Wii U and offers Theo a round of Mario Kart, but Theo declines, instead anxiously watching Corey and Isaac battle it out in a battle royale. The exact moment that Brett enters the room, Theo bolts up from the chair, heading towards the front door, “ready to go?”

Brett laughs, placing a hand on Theo’s shoulder, “alright, alright. Let’s go.”

Theo’s not any better in the car, anxiously fidgeting with his hands, his legs still bouncing nervously. Corey takes the rubbing his fingers in circles over Theo’s knee, somehow both calming and making the anticipation worse all at once. They park down the street from the flower shop, right next to some bookstore,and Theo’s anticipation suddenly stops him in his tracks in favour of anxiety.

“We’ll wait out here,” Isaac tells him while he gets out of the passenger seat, “what we do after this is up to you.” 

Theo turns around to face the three of them, various stages of recognition and amusement on each of their faces when they take in Theo’s wide eyes and red cheeks.”I- uh- we can just go. I think I’m alright.”

Corey doesn’t hesitate before pulling his best friend into a hug, “Theo, it’s alright. You’ll do great.”

Brett approaches them with unexpected amounts of softness, nodding in agreement to what Corey had said. “You’ve been pining over her for ages, dude. You’ve got this. Worst case scenario is that she rejects you, but you’d live. There’s tons of girls out there. Guys too.”

“But not like her.” Theo gives himself away more than he means to, and places his head in his hands, groaning. Isaac laughs before joining the three of them, rubbing a calming hand down Theo’s back. 

“You’ve got game, Theo. You can totally do this, just gotta put your mind to it. Just tell her what you think about her, do all that poetic shit that you do.” 

Theo nods, though his face is still red. Isaac just makes it worse by pinching his cheek agonizingly. 

Brett pushes Theo in the general direction of the flower shop, Theo stumbling a little, “go get her.”

Theo nods frantically, walking with his head held high in the direction of the flower shop. 

He doesn’t possess the same confidence when he exits, face redder than it had been to begin with. Corey gapes, eyebrows furrowed, “what did you do?”

Theo looks down at his hands, “I panicked.”

“Panicked how?”

“I- uh I didn’t know what to say so I tried to make a flower pun.”

“Oh god, please tell me you didn’t,” Brett groans, rubbing at the creases in his forehead. 

Theo is much quieter, voice barely a whisper, “I did.”

Isaac and Brett both burst into laughter, practically doubling over from the force of it. Corey sends them both a glare, softening his look for Theo.

“What did she say?” Corey asks, patient.

“She said yes?” Theo sounds unsure of it himself.

“She said yes?” Corey grins, beaming at Theo.

“Yeah,” Theo nods, a small smile on his lips. 

This, for some reason, makes Isaac laugh even harder, Brett sobering up completely.

“You-” Isaac needs to calm down before he can get more words out, “you told her that she made you ‘thorny’ and she still said yes to a date?”

Theo goes red again, nodding. 

“Oh boy,” Brett says, unlocking the truck, “come on Cassanova. Let’s go see a movie.”

Theo follows Corey into the back seat, still red, but the wide, smitten smile on his face overpowers his embarrassment.

 ** _One week later_**

“Come on, Theo. You can do this. All you have to do is walk up to the door and knock, just knock,” Theo paces the sidewalk outside of the bookstore, which has been closed since five o’clock. He had been there when it closed, over an hour early, sitting in his car in the parking lot knowing that it would take a lot of pep-talking to get himself to finally go in. 

He’s dressed business-casual, a term that he despises but Derek lives by, and he’s holding a bouquet that Tara and Tracy designed. Tracy took Ophelia’s shift at the flower shop just so they could make it for him without her around, so he hopes that each flower really means what they told him they did. Some represent admiration or affection, while others are just Ophelia’s favourites. At least, Theo hopes to god that that’s what they mean.

He continues to pace, still a few minutes early, still more than enough time to procrastinate and worry. He starts to approach the door before stopping right in front of it, again walking back to the sidewalk. 

“Are you done, Theo?”

Theo’s head shoots up, locking eyes with Ophelia from the apartment’s window. He can feel himself turning red, internally cursing. “Uh- yeah. Sorry.”

He just stands there, gaping up at Ophelia, and she giggles. “So, are you gonna knock on my door or what, pretty boy?”

Theo snaps his mouth shut, nodding, “I-I’ll knock.”

He does just that, and waits patiently for someone to come down and respond to him. An older lady comes to the door, the same eyes as Maggie, though her hair is a little greyer. “Hello?” She has an accent that Theo can’t quite place, 

“Uh, hi.” Theo punctuates with a nervous smile. 

The woman doesn’t reciprocate, a wry expression on her face, “what are your intentions with my daughter?”

Theo’s eyes widen, and he can’t help but stammer, cheeks turning pink for a second time in the last five minutes.

Suddenly, the woman bursts into laughter, her expression changing from seriousness to amusement in an instant. “Oh, my boy, I'm sorry, didn’t mean to spook you.”

Theo gapes, snapped from his stupor by Ophelia.

“Was my mom giving you a hard time?” She asks, smiling between them. She drops her voice to a whisper, though still loud enough for her mom to hear it, “don’t listen to the old broad.”

“Hey!” Ophelia’s mom slaps her arm playfully. “Call me old and let’s see if I lock you out tonight.”

“Alright, alright,” Ophelia relents, giving her mom a kiss on the cheek, “see you later, mom.”

“Bye, Lia. You kids have fun.”

Ophelia replies with an affirmative before walking out the door, a bounce in her step. Her hair is done in box braids, pink and purple muttered throughout, and she’s dressed pretty casually. Theo probably would have dressed the same, had Derek not pressured him into business casual. 

When she turns to look at Theo, he feels something in his chest, and his heart, and his brain. Something that tells him that he’s in big, big trouble. She beams down at the bouquet, and then back up at him practically lighting up the rapidly dimming sidewalk.

“Are those for me?”

Theo nods, smiling softly, handing them to her, “yeah, I hope you like them.”

“Like them? I love them. Thank you, Theo.” She takes the flowers and plants a soft kiss on his cheek.

The way that Theo’s heart flutters is enough to convince him that he would do anything for her. He’d run away with her right now, nothing but his truck and whatever cash he has in his wallet, _and all she would have to do is ask._

 ** _Six months later_**

Ophelia is kind, and caring, and she’s hilarious, and witty, and so, so smart, and Theo is certain that he is in love. He is 100% sure that the feeling he gets in the pit of the stomach every time she enters a room, or smiles, or keeps him on his toes, is love. There’s no way that it’s not.

He really should have known that she was different from the moment she said yes to his date despite all of his bashfulness. In her defense, Tara probably spoke to her beforehand, probably aware that he would be coming in to talk to her, and probably warned Ophelia about his inability to flirt when faced with someone so beautiful. Or maybe Theo explained some of that to her a month after they started dating. 

Ophelia fit right into his life, she could join in the absolutely feral behaviour of everyone at Hale House, making jokes and helping Corey give Isaac and Brett a hard time, but she could also be calm and mellow, and so caring that sometimes it hurt. On nights when Theo would be kept up at night, tossing and turning from nightmares, he could call her and she would read chapters from her favourite novels, always calm and forgiving. Her favourite author is Margaret Atwood, though she did have a soft spot for anything by F. Scott Fitzgerald, thanks to him being Theo’s favourite. 

The two of them would go to the preserve together at odd hours, Theo perfecting the art of sneaking past Derek’s expertly trained ear in the late hours of the night. They went to diners and drive-ins, and they loved hidden corners of the Uptown bookshop, the one that Theo discovered belonged to Ophelia’s parents.

Theo thought that things must be perfect. He finally understood how good life could really be, with a family and a girlfriend and massive amounts of joy that never ran out. He started a literature degree at a local university, not wanting to move away from everything he has now, and Ophelia started a floristry program at their local community college. The two of them spent every possible moment together, thick as thieves.

Everything was perfect.

Everything was perfect until Ophelia showed up on the doorstep of the Hale Home, tears streaming down her face with a ziploc bag tightly gripped in one fist, the contents concealed from peeping eyes. Theo brought her up to his bedroom and sat her down, rubbing soothing circles on her back to help her calm down. He breathes deeply, in and out, and asks her to follow his lead, and eventually she is just hiccuping softly, the odd tear falling from her eyes. 

Ophelia brings the ziploc bag to face-level and uncovers the contents, and Theo stands up from the bed, feeling a grand mixture of emotions that suddenly made him nauseous. 

“Oh god.”

Ophelia’s face drops again, and she looks like she’s about to return to crying, and Theo’s instincts kick in. He sits back on the bed, using the sleeve of his t-shirt to softly dab away the tears. “Hey, hey, it’s alright.”

He wraps her in a tight hug, rubbing more circles on his back. “It’s okay, Lia. You’re gonna be alright. Whatever you decide to do, I will be right here.”

Ophelia laughs wetly, pulling away to look at Theo, “my parents are gonna kill me.”

Theo goes pale, laughing nervously, “they’re probably gonna kill the both of us.” Theo takes a moment to imagine the disappointment on Edith and Ernest’s faces, shuddering at the thought of letting down two people that he had grown close to, as of late. “They might kill us both, but they’ll forgive us.”

“You think so?” Ophelia has a hopeful glimmer in her eyes.

Theo leans forward, kissing her temple, “I know so.”

She smiles, though small, and looks from Theo’s eyes to the bag, then back up again. “You think we could give it a test-run by telling Derek?”

Theo has to hide the fear that he suddenly feels, but he nods, “of course we can.” 

**_Seven months later_**

“Oh my God, I’m going to throw up. I’m actually going to puke. I can’t do this,” Theo is looking at his phone with an expression that can only be described as pure, unadulterated terror. 

“Oh, come on, you’ve got this,” Corey’s patience and optimism is usually more than welcomed, but right now it makes Theo more nervous than he had been moments ago. “You’re gonna be a great dad.”

“That’s easy for you to say, you’re only the godfather. I have to be the _actual_ father.” Theo recoils, looking up at Corey, “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be mean, I’m just scared.” 

“You’ll be okay, T,” Derek locks eyes with Theo through the rear-view mirror. “Now stop being such a baby, we’re about to meet your kid.”

“Oh god,” Theo is pale again, suddenly, “ _my kid_.”

Brett laughs and Corey flips him off, throwing an empty container that had been on the floor of the truck at Brett’s head. 

Theo laughs at the “ouch” and the satisfying bang that the tupperware makes when it hits Brett’s head. 

“Probably wouldn’t have hurt so bad if you had something up there,” Corey grumbles. 

The car stops moving, and Theo can see that Derek has pulled up outside of the hospital. “Get out, I’ll park and meet Brett in the waiting room.”

Theo nods, practically jumping out, Corey and Brett following suit. He practically runs to the maternity wing, catching a glimpse of Ernest entering one of the rooms, running right into it. 

Ophelia is groaning, her eyes screwed shut. Theo slips one of his hands into one of hers, her other hand held securely by Edith. She opens one eye, a slight quirk in her lips, “hi.”

Theo doesn’t manage to respond before Ophelia is groaning louder, throwing her head back in pain. Theo isn’t even the one giving birth, but he feels like he’s in a daze, everything blurring around him. All he can focus on is Ophelia, and how badly he wishes he could take the pain away from her. He just focuses on her face, and how tightly she’s squeezing his hand, until he hears a shrill cry, and Corey’s gently pulling his free hand to get his attention. 

Theo looks at Ophelia, who’s smiling widely, no pain in sight, and then he’s looking in Corey’s direction, where a doctor stands with a beautiful baby girl, _his beautiful baby girl_. Theo walks closer to the doctor, taking his daughter to hold her for the first time, bringing her over to Ophelia. When Theo looks between his newborn daughter, and the woman that he is certain will one day be his wife, he can’t help but shed a tear. In fact, he sheds a lot of tears, shamelessly crying at the life that is now his, and the new life that was just made. 

At fifteen, he couldn’t even imagine having a place where he could be himself. He wouldn’t even dare consider the idea, but now here he is. Surrounded by his sister, his best friend, his girlfriend, and his new daughter, and suddenly he wishes that he had known of life like this all along. Suddenly, just a year later, he finally feels like he has some of those answers.

“Margaret,” Ophelia says softly, beaming at Theo. “Can we name her Margaret?” 

Theo nods, wiping a tear from his cheek, “of course. Of course we can.”

“Margaret Michelle Raeken,” Ophelia elaborates softly.

Theo nods again, a wet laugh accompanying it, “Margaret Michelle Raeken.”

 ** _Four months later_**

Four months. Just four months is all it takes, apparently, for someone to lose hope. For someone to decide that eternal darkness, or whatever comes next, is better than earthly life. Better than a family.

Theo knows that it’s not that simple. Love is not black and white, _life is not black and white _, and deciding not to go on is not a simple decision. It’s not fair to label it selfish or heartless, because those are just simple, black and white words. They are not words that interpret how much pain Ophelia had been in, or the complicated feelings that lead her to her final decision.__

__If it weren’t for Maggie, Theo would have shut down completely. He almost _did_ shut down completely. Theo had packed up all of his things, and packed up all Maggie’s things, and headed to the Hale Home, where his family took care of Maggie while he layed in bed, motionless and unfeeling, for an entire week. Derek, Isaac, Brett, Lori, Tracy, Corey, and Tara, _**his family**_ , took care of him and his daughter. They took care of him and Maggie the same way that Theo should have taken care of Ophelia._ _

__It’s a specific, indescribable type of darkness that fills him. It started the moment he had returned home to find Ophelia on the floor, it just got heavier when the paramedics pronounced her dead on the scene. It makes him feel guilty, but sometimes, when he looks at Maggie and sees how alike she looks to Ophelia, it gets even heavier._ _

__Sometime throughout the week, maybe four days after? Maybe six? Ophelia’s funeral is held, and Theo holds Maggie tightly to his chest the entire time, holding the back of her head softly as if to prevent her from turning around, prevent her from seeing her mother’s casket, as if a four-month-old could remember._ _

__At night, when Maggie sleeps softly in her crib in Tara’s room, Theo cries and cries and cries, and between teary sessions he stares blankly at nothing, rocking back and forth as if in a trance. He recognizes, at some points, the bodies of various people next to him, but never becomes lucid enough to acknowledge who. Sometimes they just hold him, and let him scream and cry, other times someone will slip into the bed and lie down next to him, making some sort of grounding, soothing gesture until Theo has finally cried himself into exhaustion, falling into a dreamless sleep._ _

__The pitying looks make his skin crawl, itchy and uncomfortable, because he should have been there. Theo should have been there to advocate for Ophelia, he should have been there to speak up against the system that was built against her, the system that didn’t always believe people like her, just because of the colour of her skin. Tara could have watched Maggie, or Corey, or even Edith and Ernest, but Theo just let her go to the appointments alone. So maybe this is his fault. And that’s why he can’t help but gag, choking on nothing but loss, whenever somebody looks at him with pitying eyes. He wants to shout, scream, _ **don’t pity me, I could have saved her,**_ but instead he just excuses himself, or pukes into the trash can that somebody put next to his bed, not feeling even an ounce of relief, _ever _.___ _

____He spends months trying to advocate for her, and advocate for other people out there like her, even when he still has his daughter to take care of. Even when it starts to hurt how alike she is to her mother._ _ _ _

____One of the surgeons at the hospital steps down from his position, he decides to become a family doctor to advocate alongside those less fortunate. The doctor is black himself, and Theo is reminded of the distinct unfairness of the fact that people like Dr. Geyer have to stop doing what they love to do, sometimes, just to ensure that everyone gets a fair chance at healthcare._ _ _ _

____When Theo’s attempts at media coverage are met with ridicule, words of pessimism, and an unchanging system, he gives up. For his daughter, he chooses privacy. And red roses bloom in the bookshop beneath Ophelia’s picture, beneath his sun, moon, and stars._ _ _ _

____Maybe, he thinks, the sky will never come alight again._ _ _ _


	14. Those Christmas lights light up the street, down where the sea and city meet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liam celebrates Christmas with his parents, and finally understands how he'll win Theo's forgiveness.

Christmas comes days after Liam gets out of his engagement. He feels broken in ways that he couldn’t have really expected, not in terms of sadness, but nearly in terms of insanity. He can’t help but laugh hysterically when he thinks of Joey, when he thinks of how much time he wasted on a relationship that he should have known better than to be in. He doesn’t see Joey again after he leaves. 

Someone does come around to collect all of Joey’s things, a mutual influencer friend, Casey, that lives nearby and was intending to go to LA for New Year’s Eve. He feels weirdly chastised by Casey’s disapproving glare, like it had been Liam’s fault that Joey had only been in it for the appearance of happiness, but he just tries to ignore it. When Casey leaves, Liam finds that Joey had shipped back the Christmas presents that Liam had given him, and Casey had verbally mentioned that Liam should send back the gifts he received from Joey.

Liam goes to the post office that same night, barely making it in before it closes, paying for the fastest shipping method. He even considers sending Joey the tracking information.

The yelling in the driveway, the message passed from Joey to Casey and then to Liam, those are the very last communications that Liam ever has with his ex-fiance, the very last time the two of them would ever be anything but strangers ever again. You’d think that after years of being together Joey would reach out, ask for them to try again, but he never does, _he never will_.

Liam doesn’t either.

Liam is finding that Beacon Hills has become a lot less boring. Though, he does now miss the simplicity. He does wish that he didn’t hurt Theo the way that he did, knowing from Corey that Theo tends to see the worst in people, _tends to get the worst from people._

After leaving Mason and Corey’s, Liam didn’t see much of anyone. He sent Mason a simple, “I’m single,” text message and received a barrage of responses, some congratulatory and some sympathizing. Corey had phoned him to explain that he should lay off for a little before apologizing to Theo, a sibling-like over-protectiveness in his tone.

Liam listens to Corey.

 _Well_ , Liam passes by the bookshop multiple times to see if it would be a good time to go in, but he finds, instead, that Derek is in the bookshop _**each and every single time.**_ Liam thinks that the two of them had even made eye contact at some point, and it sent a shiver down his spine. So, yeah, Liam did listen to Corey, in a way.

Liam spends a completely sleepless night trying to think up a way to apologize, and he continuously runs up blanks. He wakes up after only an hour of sleep, the scents of Christmas morning meeting his nose, like a taunting reminder that Liam doesn’t quite have peace on a day that should be peaceful. 

“Merry Christmas,” Jenna greets him, her smile warm and loving, nothing short of her usual cheer.

Liam leans in to give her a kiss on the cheek, then turning to hug David who is standing behind her, “Merry Christmas, guys.”

They eat breakfast first, it’s pleasant and filled with small talk, but Jenna, as expected, acknowledges the elephant in the room.

“So Liam, what’s up?” Jenna asks, her expression stern.

“Nothing, what do you mean?” Liam can’t help but grin when Jenna glares at him.

“Cut the crap, kid.”

Liam rolls his eyes, putting his fork down, “it’s nothing,” he shrugs.

“It’s not nothing if it’s making you this quiet. Is it Joey?”

“No!” Liam’s answer is immediate, cheeks flushing, “I mean, I guess? I feel like I should be more upset than I am, but I guess I’m not really thinking about him anymore.”

David hums thoughtfully, “personally, son, I think that you were out of that relationship, mentally, a long time ago. You just caught up in the literal sense when you two officially ended it.”

Liam nods, once again picking up his fork and playing with his eggs.

“That’s not it, though, is it?” Jenna asks.

Liam catches her eye and knows that she won’t stop until she hears the truth, “I kind of did something dumb. Like, really stupid, and I accidentally hurt someone.”

Jenna nods, smiling softly, “well, the first step to fixing the problem is acknowledging your hand in it. What happened?”

Liam goes red, not able to look up at either of his parents, “well- uh- I kind of went over to Theo’s after the dinner with Joey, and Mason, and Corey, and we got really drunk and he told me about Ophelia and then when we woke up next to each other I freaked out and ran out without saying anything as soon as he woke up.”

The room is silent: no scraping, no talking, and barely even the sounds of breathing. When Liam looks up, bracing himself, his mom is gaping at him, her jaw dropped, and David is looking down at his plate, wincing in response to what is to come.

“Liam Eugene Dunbar, I did not teach you to lead people on like that!” Jenna’s voice isn’t at a level that could be considered yelling, _yet_.

“I wasn’t leading him on!” Liam argues, he truly hadn’t intended to do any leading on whatsoever. Now that he’s no longer in a relationship, though, he is absolutely certain that he hadn’t been leading Theo on, because leading him on would imply that the two of them would have no future.

“You weren’t?” David looks up, always the more thoughtful of the two.

“I wasn’t,” Liam can feel his face absolutely burning, “I wasn’t leading Theo on, but Joey and I were still engaged”

Jenna has somewhat of a eureka moment, it’s visible on her face, “that was the same day you broke up with Joey.”

Liam nods, his eyes again returning to his plate.

“Well, Liam,” Jenna says, reaching out to rub her thumb over her son’s cheekbone, “I think it’s time for a grand gesture.”

Liam laughs, “you think?”

“I do think,” Jenna nods.

Liam looks to David.

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this,” David sighs, “but I agree with your mother.”

Liam laughs, nodding frantically, “I’ll talk to Corey about it.”

The rest of their breakfast is far more cheerful now that Liam’s silence has been addressed, and he goes back to his usual behaviour of talking a mile a minute about some history thing or another. They laugh and talk about Liam's mini-series, but Liam is practically buzzing now. Both with the excitement of his grand gesture, but also with the excitement of giving his parents their Christmas gift.

He hurries them in order to finish breakfast and gets them into the living room with the promise that he will do the dishes after they open gifts. He hands them both a box, both light, no sound to be heard when Jenna shakes them, just like Liam had known she had. He was five steps ahead, this time, which would momentarily be revealed when his parents would eye the internal padding of the box.

“Okay, okay. So I know that you guys do a lot. Like a whole lot, and you barely get any breaks,” Liam begins, practically bouncing in his seat, “so I hope these help.”

Both Jenna and David open the boxes, pulling out the contents. Jenna holds a single key with a snowflake keychain attached, David has the same, though his has a palm tree keychain.

“Liam Dunbar, what did you do?” Jenna asks, but she’s grinning from ear to ear.

“So, I kinda bought you guys two vacation homes?” Liam poses it like a question, looking bashful.

“Oh my God,” David proclaims, examining the key.

“One of them is a beach house in the Bahamas, and the other is a cabin in the alps. You know, like one is sunny and one is snowy, the best of both worlds.”

Jenna launches herself at Liam, wrapping his in a tight hug, “Liam, you didn’t have to give us something so huge.”

“You kind of gave me my whole life, so maybe I did,” Liam smiles cheekily. David doesn’t wait for Jenna to finish her hug, wrapping up both of them in his arms.

“Thank you, Liam. This is amazing, we really appreciate it.”

Liam grins, “You guys deserve somewhere nice to getaway. I was just gonna buy the house in the Bahamas, but mom mentioned that her next book idea involved the murder of a skier, so maybe you guys can get some practice on the slopes.”

More ‘thank you’s were passed around before David and Jenna pulled away, both of them grinning like little kids.

“Speaking of a getaway, I’m thinking of moving out of LA. I know that Joey will probably have my name off the lease and all my things in storage by the time I get back, anyway.”

Jenna smiles, though her eyes are knowing. “Where are you thinking of moving to?”

“Here,” Liam looks at his hands, playing with the sleeve of his sweater.

“Do you think you’d enjoy that, Li? As a kid, you always hated Beacon Hills.”

Liam shrugs, but nods at the same time, “I think that maybe things have changed.”

Jenna smirks, nodding, “if you think you’d be happy coming back, then you already know that there’s an entire mob of people who would be overjoyed to have you around.”

Liam smiles, nodding, “yeah, you’re right I guess.”

“I know, moms are always right,” Jenna laughs.

The three of them share a Christmas morning, one unlike any other in years, and the first Christmas in nearly seven years where Liam was back in Beacon Hills, and it’s like all the dread he once had was completely gone. This feeling of being so full, so _at home_ is something that he hadn't even realized he was missing. Those years of Christmases spent on tropical islands, or at his and Joey's place in LA were nothing compared to this, compared to being in Beacon Hills surrounded by his family, knowing that he's also surrounded by his friends.

Beacon Hills was once a place where being different was frowned upon, especially Uptown, and it had been normal for people to shame others for being different. Once, everything had been the same, completely unchanging, because everyone was scared of change. Now, though the buildings and facades appear the same, the scenery mostly the same, the people inside were different. Now, Beacon Hills is a mural of different people with different stores, accepting people who are willing to listen, maybe a little too willing to care.

Liam is feeling a new love for his hometown, and it is both exciting and completely terrifying all at the same time. Not only because of how much has changed since he was gone, but also because Beacon Hills is not the only thing that he has come to love since he’s come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had pretty much every single chapter planned out except for this one, and that is my one and only excuse as to why it took a whole week for me to update. Last few chapters will be a shorter wait :)
> 
> Sorry it's so short! The only idea that I _did_ have for this chapter was the Christmas gifts that Liam gave to Jenna and David.


	15. A dog with a bird at your door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the #Loey breakup, and Liam's over-the-top apology.

After five days of hard work, an uncountable amount of cuts, scrapes, and bruises, some convincing, and a lot of help, Liam ends up with a reminder in his phone that he should schedule an appointment with his therapist considering he has completely lost his mind. He also ends up with a plan, of course. It is elaborate and wild and a little deceiving, but it's one that he knows will work. At least he hopes it will.

Liam had visited Mason and Corey, and did a whole bunch of groveling to get Corey to help him with the plan. Mason helped too, along with David, Stiles, Scott, and Malia. Liam had found out sometime during planning that Scott dated both Malia and Kira at one point, and Stiles had even dated Malia too. It was a little weird, but the friend group worked, in a weird way. Isaac and Allison had been there too, which added an entirely new layer of strangeness.

Corey managed to convince Derek not to kill Liam, which ended up taking Corey promising that he would personally turn Liam into a eunuch if Liam hurt Theo again. Liam had been in the room during the phone call, and the look that Corey gave him was enough to convince Liam that the threat would hold true. 

Derek backing off didn’t stop Liam from getting a talk from Isaac, or an ominous text from an anonymous number who Corey claimed was Brett. If this is what having siblings is like, then maybe being an only child his entire life wasn’t so terrible. Then again, it was kind of endearing the things they did for each other.

Liam had put more work into this plan, both physically and mentally, than he had with pretty much anything else in the last year. When he finally gets home, having put the finishing touches on the set-up, he races to his room, falling asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.

When he wakes up, his phone is ringing, the brightness of the screen causing Liam to squint as he reads the time— 10:00 pm, still the 30th— and then Mason’s name.

“Hello?” 

“Hey, Li,” Mason’s voice is hesitant, nearly scared. Liam feels a little more awake when he recognizes it.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Mason speaks just as Corey pipes up in the background.

“He hasn’t seen?”

Mason shushes him, not indiscreetly, and Liam sits upright, brows furrowed tightly in an attempt to curb the stress that he can already foresee coming.

“What is it?”

“Uh,” Mason stutters, and he says something to Corey that Liam can’t pick out. “You know what? We’re actually on our way over, we’ll tell you in a sec.”

“Wha-” The dial tone rings out, and if it weren’t for how anxious he now felt, Liam probably would have fallen back asleep, graciously, as soon as Mason had hung up the phone. Instead, he tries to rub the bags from under his eyes and he goes to the bathroom to make sure he doesn’t look completely like shit, and then he spends the rest of his wait pacing his floor. 

“You’ll make a hole that way.”

Liam looks up, giving Corey a deadpan expression, “maybe it’ll swallow me whole.”

“You already want to get swallowed whole? Wait until you hear this,” Corey replies, sarcasm dripping from his tone. He quickly catches himself, his expression softening to his usual kind one. “Sorry, Li. Now’s not the time to give you shit.”

If Corey was suddenly dropping the whole ‘Theo’s protective brother’ thing, then whatever Liam is about to hear is going to ruin his night. And probably even longer than that.

Mason gives Corey a look, abruptly silencing both the sympathy and the brashness, before looking towards Liam. “Sit down, you’re gonna want to.”

Liam shakes his head, “Mase, just tell me what’s going on. You’re freaking me out. Did someone die or something?”

Mason rolls his eyes, going over to sit in the desk chair in the corner. “Nobody died, dumbass.”

“Then what is it?” Liam’s voice is raised, his eyebrows meeting his hairline. He starts to wring his hands, an attempt to prevent him from resuming his pacing.

“So, uh-”

“Joey’s been talking about you.” Corey gets straight to the point, saving Mason from further sputtering.

“Oh,” Liam feels much calmer, shrugging his shoulders, “I don’t care.”

“Well, I think you just might,” Mason winces, standing up from the desk chair to hand Liam his phone.

Twitter is open, _on light mode_ , and Liam’s still unadjusted eyes burn from the brightness of the screen. It’s not Mason’s homepage, not even a tweet that someone had directly messaged him, _no_ , Mason is showing Liam the trending topics section. Number three, in big, taunting letters announces that hundreds of thousands of people have tweeted about the hashtag _#JusticeForJoey_ in the last hour. Underneath, in a much smaller font: _Trending with: #LoeyIsOver and #WheresLiam_. Liam’s blood runs cold. 

A warm hand is softly placed on his shoulder, a reassuring squeeze accompanying it. “If you’re going to read anything, just read Joey’s tweets. Don’t read anything else, Li.”

Liam gapes at Corey, his eyes misting visibly as his mind mulls over every possible circumstance. “How can I not? His fans are my fans, how can I just ignore them?”

Suddenly, Liam’s relationship with his fans was seeming like more of a negative than a positive. It’s nice to interact with his fans, and he always preferred to view them as people who were into what he did, considering the word ‘fan’ to be demeaning. He felt like he always had a closer relationship with them than most influencers, because he really does care, and most of them are actually cool as hell. Caring about his fans on a different level also meant that he actually valued their opinions and criticism. Criticism, however, was now taking on a much different form.

_**@WhatWouldLoeyDo:** I think it’s really disgusting that Liam would cheat, abandon Joey in an unfamiliar place, and then not even acknowledge any of it. #ChangingMyUsername #WheresLiam_

_**@HoeForJoe:** lmao i fucking TOLD YOU GUYS that there was something wrong about liam, just couldnt put my finger on it_

_**@L1amlyt1cal:** guys, maybe we shouldn’t just blindly take Joey’s side, we don’t know what really happened :(( #IStandWithLiam_

Liam’s breathing has gone shaky, finally taking a seat on his bed in an attempt to breathe. This whole thing had never been about publicity for him, it was always just about sharing what he loves with cool people, but he’s suddenly regretting his lack of PR. 

Liam finally clicks out of the trending tab, opting to search within one of the hashtags instead, and the first thing that appears is a thread from Joey. In classic influencer style, the first tweet is screenshots of Joey’s notes app on his phone. 

_”Hey guys, I have something that I think I should be getting off my chest. Liam and I broke up…_

The notes app message is four entire ‘pages’, with an additional one added in the replies, and Liam is seeing red.

Joey claimed that Liam had been cheating on him for a year, with someone from his hometown, and Liam finally decided to break off their engagement the first time that Joey ever visited Beacon Hills. _Apparently_ , Liam had kicked Joey out of his parents’ house in the middle of the night, not letting him get any of his things and not providing him with a place to stay. _And Liam still kept his Christmas gifts from Joey_ , which Liam knows is a lie since he tracked the package down to the very second it arrived back at the house. Liam also learns from the thread that Joey has thrown out some of his things, and the rest of his stuff is in a storage locker, and he has until the 20th of January to retrieve it all. 

Mason stands up and quickly motions for Corey to move away from Liam, sitting down next to his best friend and expecting the worst. Liam’s entire face has gone red by now, and his hands are shaking. He doesn’t even realize that he’s crying until Corey steps forward again, softly wiping the tears from his cheek using his sleeve. Mason softly takes the phone away from Liam before taking both of Liam’s hands in one of his in an attempt to curb the trembling. 

Mason envelopes Liam in a hug, letting him cry against his shoulder, rubbing circles over his back. Corey softly pets Liam’s hair from where he’s still standing above the two of them, his other hand on Mason’s back.

After ten minutes or so, Liam is no longer wheezing to the point where he can’t breathe, sobs no longer shaking his entire body with a vengeance, and he pulls away ever so slightly. He looks down at his lap, a few stray tears falling onto his jeans, making a wet spot. A force overcomes him, though he’s not sure which one, and his shoulders start to shake again.

Mason sends Corey a worried look before they both hear it, Liam hysterically giggling as his body shakes with laughter. 

“Liam?” Mason asks, pulling away completely so he can take a better look at his best friend. 

Liam looks up, mirth in his eyes, “oh my god. Oh my god.” He has to stop to breathe, holding his stomach, “oh my god!”

Corey can’t help but smile fondly, Mason’s own smile is less amused, though.

“What is it, Li?” Corey asks, sitting down on Liam’s other side.

Liam lies on his back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling while he still laughs hysterically. “I’m releasing a cookbook in three days. I have a miniseries coming out, and-” he hiccups before laughing even harder, throwing his head back. “And my ex-fiance is running a smear campaign only a week after our breakup.”

Corey and Mason share a look. Mason looks uncertain, concerned, but Corey just quirks the corner of his mouth in a tiny grin before flopping down next to Liam. They meet eyes for a second, and Corey can’t help but laugh along with Liam, giggling sillily as Liam snorts. “You’re right. That blows.”

“It does,” Liam wheezes, “doesn’t it?”

Mason flops down with them, putting a reassuring hand on Liam’s shoulder. 

The three of them laugh, and they talk about how much it sucks for Liam to be the target of something like this after leaving such a long relationship. They laugh and cry, and then they calm down. Liam’s taking deep breaths, sitting up to rest his arms on his knees and his head within his hands. 

Mason rubs a circle on Liam’s upper back, and Liam looks up at him. Mason poses a silent question, one that is somehow also a reassurance at the same time.

Despite the tear tracks, Liam smiles again, as he had in his fit of hysteria. “It’s okay.”

“It is?” Mason asks, furrowing his brow.

“It is,” Liam’s expression is more dopey than anything, “because tomorrow I can apologize to Theo.”

Corey grins, bolting upright, “you can, and this time you won’t be a prick.”

Liam doesn't even comment on Corey’s jab, the contentedness in his eyes evident of his mind being somewhere else now.

✿✿✿✿

On New Year’s Eve, at 5 o’clock in the evening, Liam is completely dressed in a suit, hair perfectly styled, teeth perfectly white. There is not even a single hair out of place, not even one piece of lint insight.

He had woken up early to check out the place. He made sure that all the lights were working, and all of the coolers were filled, and he once again checked to make sure everything would be perfect.

The party wasn't starting until 9, Liam didn’t even have to be there until 7:30, but here he was, dressed to the nines two and a half hours early. He paces the floor, unsure of what to do with himself while he waits. He picks up his phone and looks through his Twitter.

His timeline is still a mess, to put it lightly. He ended up working with one of his friends, who happened to be well-versed in PR, just to draft a quick statement about the falsehoods in Joey’s accusations, and that he still wishes the best for his ex in spite of everything. 

Most people took his side, not that he expected anyone to take sides, but he still lost a couple thousand followers. Joey lost a few thousand too, leaving him under a million followers on all of his platforms. Despite the hurt and the lies, Liam did feel bad. Joey’s career means everything to him, it even meant more than their relationship just a week ago. 

_It doesn’t matter_ , Liam decides, it doesn’t matter if Joey is losing followers because he’ll just gain them back. It doesn’t matter that they’re broken up, because mentally, that had been broken up for ages. They were just apart physically right now, there’s no difference. Liam is still him, and if anything, he’s a little better. 

His vibrating phone takes him out of his twitter-induced trance, and he’s quick to pick it up.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Liam.”

“Hey,” Liam responds once he recognizes Mason’s voice.

“So, I know that you’re probably already in your suit, probably hoping that staring at the floor will make time pass faster. So, do you want to come over and drive to the party with us?”

“Yes.” Liam answers before Mason’s even finished, and Mason laughs on the other end of the line.

“Alright, see you soon.”

Everything is perfectly, _methodically_ falling into place. Theo agreed to the party, and Maggie will be staying with Edith and Ernest for the night. Corey invited him under the guise that Mason and Corey were hosting, though Liam was truly the party’s mysterious host. It wasn’t just going to be the four of them, of course, that wouldn’t be a party, but the party wasn’t the important part in the first place. The venue was.

Pretty much everyone from the Hale Home was coming, Corey had invited them. Mason invited some of his friends, and Liam had invited Scott, Kira, Malia, Stiles, Hayden, and Sara. The dress code was black-tie, or more specifically, the roaring 20s. Every decoration, every drink, every entree, was themed after Theo’s favourite book, even some of the music. Corey had spilled what it was, and Liam had gone all out. He hoped it would be perfect, but he’d have to wait until he could see Theo’s reaction.

Liam pulls up to Mason and Corey’s, and he allows himself to zone out the same way that he had at his own house. He keeps thinking about Theo, practically daydreaming, but then has to stop himself when his mind floods with the idea of Theo’s possible disappointment, the chance that he may not forgive. 

He watches as they whizz around the room, getting dressed. They’re both wearing suits, too, though a little less formal. Corey’s is navy blue with a forest green pocket square, Mason’s own suit is an inversion of the same thing. They look great, but the sickly sweet looks that they keep giving each other are making Liam anxious more than anything else. 

When everyone’s finally ready, the time just reaching 7pm, Mason grabs for his car keys off of a hook. “Are you guys ready?” 

Corey smiles, humming an affirmation, and Liam just nods, eyes still glazed over.

The drive is far from silent, or awkward, and Corey and Mason keep trying to make conversation that Liam only answers with one or two words. His mind is positively racing, and Corey and Mason can both see it bright as day. Eventually, they stop trying to loop him in, not wanting to mention it in fear that he may spiral even more. 

Liam absently exits the car once they’ve parked, walking on autopilot towards the glass structure. There are coolers and seats set up outside, the benefit of California weather, though there are a few things inside too. String lights like the parking lot, the outdoor seating, the DJ table. They dangle from the ceiling inside, creating a prism of lights that forms a floral pathway. The structure is big, even bigger than big. It’s huge, and Liam’s lucky that the city hadn’t torn it down. As soon as the idea popped into his head he bought it, right on the spot, and it took non-stop work for it to go from broken-down and abandoned to what it is now. The flowers almost hadn’t arrived in time, but now they set the scene, beautiful pathways winding and windings, statues placed in the middle of some openings, benches in others.

It’s beautiful, Liam thinks, it’s better than he had originally imagined. He couldn’t have done it without help, and he hopes that Theo will like it as much as he does. When all the lights turn on, a contrast to the darkness appearing as the sun sets, it looks straight-up magical. Outside, the bushes and flowers make it look like some sort of utopia you’d see in a fairy movie, and on the inside, the view could only be described as romantic, _maybe even intimate_.

“It looks great, Li. Like, actually. I’m impressed.” Mason says from just behind Liam.

“No, totally. I didn’t think you’d pull this off, I won’t lie,” Corey snickers, nodding.

“Thanks, guys,” Liam says, though he sends a playful glare in Corey’s direction. “You think Theo’ll like it?” 

Corey snorts, getting another glare, this time from Mason. “Like it? Liam I think that Theo will marry you on the spot. He can recite the Great Gatsby from start to finish, flawlessly. He’s going to absolutely lose his mind.”

Liam smiles, “really?”

“Really.”

The three of them look around, chatting with the waiters from the catering service, or checking over the playlist with the DJ. By the time that Liam’s mind is clear, and he is completely convinced that everything is perfect, the first few cars are pulling up and the music is blasting. 

It ends up being Derek and Stiles, and Liam can’t help but scream internally when Derek gives him a small smile, and an off-handed “I’m impressed.” Stiles buzzes around, checking out everything like the ball of energy that he is, before dragging Derek towards the bar to get their first drinks of the night. 

Next to arrive is Tracy and Tara, hand-in-hand, both dressed in flapper dresses and over-the-top feather headbands. 

Liam thought that Derek was the only one who knew about the plan, but evidently, others from the Hale Home were also informed. “If I weren’t a lesbian, I think that _I_ would marry you on the spot.” Tara gushes, eyes wide as she takes in the scenery.

Tracy smacks her, and Liam laughs nervously. He had worried that the symbolism might be too much, with the yellow roses, lavenders, lilacs, forget-me-nots, and tulips, but Tracy spares him a compliment about his selections, and it manages to ease his mind instantly. The flowers are set up in rows, mostly, though the different varieties grow a little wilder on the inside. 

By 9pm, the party is bustling, music blasting and drinks freely flowing. Everyone is having a great time, dancing and preparing to ring in the new year, but Theo is still nowhere to be found. 

Liam is inside, drinking a diet coke inside, leaning on the bar next to a patch of ox-eyed daisies. Most of the party guests are outside, which is why Liam immediately notices when Mason enters, flustered and wide-eyed. 

“You gotta get out there, Liam. Like, right now!” He points towards the doors, pulling Liam by his suit sleeve.

“Oh my god, wait. Wait!” Mason stops dragging him, turning around. “Do I look okay? Like, is there anything wrong? Is my hair okay? What about my suit?”

Mason sighs, before looking Liam in the eyes. “Liam, you look amazing, and I mean that. Now come outside and secure your man!”

Liam can’t bring himself to laugh, far too nervous for that, but he does follow Mason this time. 

First, Liam sees Corey, his back to the two of them, talking animatedly about something or another. Mason grabs Corey’s hand from behind, and Corey turns to look at him, then catching Liam’s eyes. Corey smiles reassuringly, before turning back around. 

“So, uh, we’ll talk later.” Corey says, nodding.

Theo responds, confusion in his voice, “uh, alright, sure.”

Corey pulls Mason away by the hand, revealing Theo standing in front of them, a small smile on his face. It wavers when he sees Liam, and it tugs are Liam’s heart when his mouth falls into a frown. Despite the expression, Theo looks amazing. Liam is speechless for a moment, just gaping, absolutely certain that he is looking at the most beautiful person in the world. Theo is wearing a white suit that is almost identical to Gatsby’s from the tea party scene in the film. His pocket square is the exact same colour as his eyes, and somehow it makes it so much easier for Liam to admire how green they are, and the beauty held within them. 

Theo nods awkwardly and then turns to walk towards the party, and Liam reaches out, grabbing him by the sleeve.

“Hey,” Liam speaks breathlessly, cheeks dusting pink.

“Hello.” 

“I’m sorry,” Liam begins, but he stops when Theo puts a hand up. Theo shakes his head, but Liam persists. “Please, just hear me out, Theo.”

Theo looks skeptical, but he nods nonetheless. 

“I’m sorry. Like really, truly, I am. I fucked up so bad, and even that is an understatement. I shouldn’t have left like that, but I can explain.” Liam takes a shaky breath. “Theo, this is going to sound so fucking dumb, but I adore you. Nobody has ever made me feel so much so quickly before you, and it’s amazing, and crazy, but it’s also been scary. I was engaged, and I fucked up by leading you on. I’m really sorry, Theo. I feel a lot of big things for you, a lot of scary things, and I get it if you don’t feel the same, but this,” Liam steps away, revealing everything behind him, “this is for you.”

Theo’s eyebrows rise to his forehead, and his mouth opens as he takes in everything, all the flowers, all the lights, and then he looks at Liam. “What do you mean?”

“The greenhouse, it’s yours.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes,” Liam smiles, nodding, “it is. I did this for you.”

Theo stares at Liam, but there’s something different in it. There’s no confusion or indifference, but something more complicated. 

“You did this?” Theo trails off.

“I did. I did this for you because even if you don't feel the same, I need you to know-”

Theo had surged forward, grabbing Liam by the collar of his shirt, and the moment their lips meet, Liam is _gone_. He is absolutely positively done-for, and even if he said that he’d be fine if Theo didn’t feel the same, he knows at this moment, the two of them together like this while his brain drowns out all of the music, that he can’t live his life without this. Theo, this man that he met only weeks ago, was his endgame. 

Liam remembers now, just how much he had wanted the party to resemble one of Gatsby’s. Behind him, timed for exactly ten minutes after Theo arrived, just like he had planned with Mason and Corey, fireworks shoot out, a miraculous display of lights and colour. The kiss felt like fireworks, too. Like everything inside of Liam was on fire, like he was buzzing with every emotion he had ever felt. He pulls away, panting, and his eyes glimmer at the sight of Theo’s wide smile, and how pretty the lights from the fireworks make him look. 

“I feel the same. I do.”

Liam’s entire face splits into a grin, and he brings both of his hands up to cradle Theo’s face, softly rubbing a thumb over his cheek. “Wow.”

Theo laughs, shaking his head, “wow?”

“Yeah. Wow.” Liam nods, “I’m in shock. Or maybe I’m in awe.”

Theo’s cheeks go hot under Liam’s fingers, and Theo looks down. Liam softly brings his face closer, kissing his nose before releasing his face. He intertwines their fingers and grins, “let’s go have some fun.”

Theo looks up again, grinning, “let’s.”

Nothing has ever felt more right than the way that Theo holds him, the way that he doesn’t let go the entire night. When they slow dance to some song from the Gatsby soundtrack, Theo puts his head on Liam’s shoulder, and it feels like he is holding the entire world in his hands. It’s a miracle that Liam could feel this way about anyone, let alone someone that he met less than a month ago, and he feels so silly. He had been in a relationship for years, and not once did it ever feel like this. 

Neither of them drinks. Liam can’t speak for Theo, but he wanted to be sober for every moment. He wanted to remember everything about this night. 

They made their way around, talking with Tara, Stiles, and Derek. Stiles congratulated them after he noticed their connected hands, and Derek sent him a look that _guarantee_ that he would kill Liam without a second thought if he did anything dumb again. When Isaac joined the group, Theo got them to slowly sneak away, going inside to an occupied area of the greenhouse.

The two of them sit down on a stone bench adjacent to a granite statue and a patch of ambrosia. Liam timidly lays his head on Theo’s shoulder, feeling the soft rise and fall of his breathing. He notices when Theo’s breath gets caught in his throat only to be exhaled in a shaky, unsteady gust.

“I never thought that I would feel like this again,” Theo says, voice raw. 

Liam sits up, looking at Theo with his eyebrows drawn in worry.

“After Ophelia, I didn’t think I could ever love anybody again. Especially knowing how cruel the world had been to her. I didn’t think that there was anybody good left.” 

Liam isn’t sure what to say, so he takes both of Theo’s hands in his, holding them in his lap.

“I really didn’t believe that I could ever love again,” Theo’s voice cracks, and a single tear makes a track down his cheek. He looks up at Liam, and the glistening of oncoming tears makes Liam’s chest hurt. “I didn’t want to love again. Not if it wasn’t her.”

Liam uses one soft hand to wipe away the tears as more of them stream down Theo’s cheeks. “We don’t have to do this, Theo. I would understand.”

Theo laughs, breathy and barely there, shaking his head. “I want to. I want to, so bad. I didn’t think I could ever start over again, but I think I can now.” Theo nods, bringing a hand up to wipe his other cheek. “I really think I can now.”

Liam smiles, placing a soft kiss on Theo’s cheek. He helps to rub away the rest of the tears, pushing some of the hair that had fallen away from Theo’s eyes. 

Commotion outside takes them out of their bubble, and they can hear as the crowd screams a countdown. 

“Big parties are so intimate,” Liam grins.

Theo smiles back, laughing at the sudden reference. “They really are, so much time to sneak away.” 

Liam giggles, nodding. Just as they hear the party scream ‘two’, Liam grabs Theo’s face, and the two of them are kissing right when the clock strikes midnight. It doesn’t feel any less magical, or any less beautiful, and Liam can’t even recall the last time he felt sparks when he kissed someone. It might’ve been his very first kiss with Joey, or maybe the night they got engaged. 

But here Theo is: beautiful, and intelligent, and brave, full of millions of thoughts, and quirks, and interests, and Liam wants to know all of them. Liam wants to spend eternity listening to Theo talks about books, or flowers, or what he ate for breakfast. He wants it all.

When they pull away, Liam feels like he can see clearer, like he can visualize the rest of his life just by looking into Theo’s eyes. 

And when Liam falls asleep that night, hours later, his head on Theo’s chest, right where his heart is, he can’t help but feel it, too. _This is his forever._


	16. You can take the LA out of the boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse into the domestic patterns that Liam and Theo fall into.

Two weeks later, Liam wakes up warm, the sun shining down on him, though the bed is empty. He grabs for his phone on the nightstand. It’s 10:00, early enough to get things done but still get some time to spend with his favourite people. He checks Twitter and Instagram, having promised Roman and Jodie that he would actually promote their cookbook. It wasn’t a hard task, really. He loved the cookbook, and he loved all of the work that the three of them had put into it.

 _Packing Peanuts_ features Roman’s photography, both of the food and landscape variety, Liam’s travel and history knowledge, and Jodie’s amazing recipes. It’s one of the aspects of Liam’s career that he’s most proud of, and the reception has been great so far. He’ll have to leave Beacon Hills a few times over the next few weeks for talk shows and press releases, but he was really excited to see people making the recipes, or adding commentary to Liam's stories. His mini-series on Beacon Hills was also doing wonders, and he is absolutely _overjoyed_.

All of the profits from the series, and the profit from all the events (live streams, merch) surrounding the mini-series went towards a charity that vows to be a voice for minorities in the healthcare system. He did a 24-hour live stream, something he had been wanting to try for a while, and they raised over one million dollars towards the charity.

The door creaks open, and soon there are warm arms around Liam’s waist, a chin on his shoulder.

“Hey, babe.”

“Mornin’,” Liam rasps, turning around to peck Theo on the nose. 

Liam basks in the warmth for a moment, the feeling of Theo’s arms around his waist. Theo lets him, waiting until Liam has reopened his eyes. He brushes Liam’s hair, mildly calming the bedhead.

“Ready for breakfast? Mags wanted to wait until you came down before we started.” 

Liam grins, breaking where Theo’s hands are together around his waist so he can intertwine their fingers. He takes in Theo’s fruity smell and warmth for a moment longer before nodding, slowly untangling himself from Theo. Once Liam has fully turned around, he wraps his arms around Theo, taking a few deep breaths. 

“Alright,” He smiles, peppering two soft kisses on Theo’s cheeks, “let’s go.”

Liam lets Theo lead him out by their intertwined fingers, and the smell of pancakes swells in the small apartment. 

Theo is quick to move out of the way when they get to the bottom of the stairs, and Liam hears quick, familiar steps approaching him. 

“Liam!” Maggie shouts, tossing herself at him.

Liam laughs as he catches her, lifting her up into the air like she’s flying. “Why, good morning, Maggie!”

Maggie is giggling as Liam ‘flies’ her around, making silly plane sound effects as he helps her back on her feet.

“Can we have breakfast now? I think daddy was waiting for you.”

Liam laughs, startled, and looks up at Theo, who is now blushing furiously under his gaze. Theo looks away, awkwardly clearing his throat. 

Just then, Liam catches sight of the romance section outside the small window that peers into the bookshop. The roses, the same ones that announced Theo’s need for privacy, practically symbolizing the mental walls that he had spent years building up, are gone. Instead, beneath Ophelia’s photo, there are tulips and forget-me-nots, practically overflowing each individual vase. 

Liam’s grin splits his face, ear-to-ear, and he looks back at Theo, who’s grinning just as wide. The light from the apartment's back window casts shadows, and also acts as a spotlight for the kitchen table, for Theo, and for Maggie. And when Liam finally notices the bouquet on the table, in the middle of the blueberry pancakes and the bacon, multi-coloured fairy lilies are framed by a vase, a handwritten card taped to it that simply says _”for Liam”_.

Liam has to blink away tears when he looks back at Theo. His heart is the warmest that it has ever been, and he never wants to feel the chill again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so short, didn't really know what to add that wouldn't be covered in the next chapter. One more chapter + a bonus chapter! Thanks for sticking around in spite of my terrible update schedule.


	17. There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few years later Theo, Liam, and Maggie have made a life for themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to make the mini-series the final chapter of OUAMC, but instead, I'm just going to write it as a chaptered fic. It's mostly written already, so hopefully, the entire series should be completed in the next few days :)

“Baby, are you almost ready to go? We’ve got a long drive ahead of us,” Theo yells from down the hall.

Liam doesn’t respond, lost in the required concentration of his current task. He’s not even sure how people manage to move their hands right to do it, but he’s determined to get it right this time, he’s been practicing for months after all.

Theo rounds the corner, bouncing a happy baby on his hip. Liam has his tongue stuck out of his mouth, just slightly, eyes narrowed in a squint. In front of him, Maggie sits on the floor between Liam’s legs, letting him finish braiding her hair into a single halo braid.

Theo walks around the couch so he can face both of them, and Maggie gives him a knowing look accompanied by an amused grin.

“Pops, you can stop if you have to. You don’t have to get it perfect this time,” Maggie says sympathetically, trying to raise her eyes as much as possible without moving her head.

“I’ve got this, Mags. Trust me,” Liam grunts. His eyes widen as his tongue sticks out a little more, hands performing the same movement over and over again.

“Don’t feel pressured, Bear,” Theo says, sitting down on the chair opposite Liam and Maggie. “I’ve been doing her hair for nearly eleven years now, I can finish up if you want me to.”

Liam disregards Theo altogether, instead promptly yelling, “bobby pins! Maggie, I need the bobby pins ASAP!”

Maggie laughs but reaches forward to hand Liam the quickly dwindling container of bobby pins. Theo watches as Liam uses at least six to pin the braid in its final resting place. Liam’s grin is so wide that it’s contagious, and Maggie quickly rushes to a mirror when she feels Liam’s hands move away from her head. They hear her gasp from the bathroom before they hear the sound of her running back to the living room.

As soon as she reaches the couch, she pulls Liam into a hug, and the sight absolutely melts Theo. It’s been years since they first got together, and they’ve been married for nearly two, but Theo still feels his heart warm on a daily basis. 

“You did a great job, Pops!” Maggie exclaims, pulling away to grin up at Liam. 

“I’m glad you like it,” Liam smiles back, placing a soft kiss on Maggie’s forehead.

“Eugh, gross!” She exclaims, pulling away.

Theo laughs, walking over to Liam to give him a quick kiss. Liam smiles into it, and when they pull away he orients himself to take Sawyer from Theo. 

“Go put your shoes on,” Theo smiles at Maggie, “we have to leave as soon as possible to get to Uncle Alec’s event.”

Maggie nods, rushing down the hallway and running up the stairs to her room.

Sawyer giggles as Liam plays with him, flying around the living room and making airplane noises. He and Theo had intended to do one of those surrogate pregnancies where the real father would be unknown, but the baby just had to ruin it by having Liam’s icy blue eyes and messy blond hair. They had aimed for the surrogate to look as close to Ophelia as possible, so that Sawyer would be able to relate to his sister. Even if Ophelia couldn’t meet Sawyer, it’s still important to Theo for both of his children to know about her, something that Liam wholeheartedly respected from the moment Theo first told him.

At first, it was a little strange, like the kids had three parents even though Ophelia wasn’t around anymore, but now it just kind of made sense. They bring Maggie for sleepovers at Edith and Ernest’s, and even if they aren’t biologically related, they make it a point to introduce them as his grandparents every time they bring Sawyer over. He’s only a year old, not quite old enough to understand, but one day he’ll realize that he has an army of people who love him more than the world.

Mason and Corey are Sawyer’s Godparents, of course, and Theo’s family from the Hale Home is over at least once a week, fussing over both Maggie and Sawyer. 

“Why didn’t you open this yet?” Theo asks, holding up a package addressed to the both of them. 

“Maggie’s hair took precedent,” Liam laughs, pointing down at the hair supplies on the coffee table.

Liam continues to play with Sawyer, looking over the outfit Theo put him in while Theo opens the package with his car key. 

A hardcover book falls out, hitting the coffee table, and Liam zooms over, holding Sawyer out for Theo to take. Once Sawyer is safe in his husband’s arms, Liam picks up the book, the gold of the letters shining as they catch on the beams from the ceiling light.

 **Cold Winter Nights,** is the title, and the bottom of the cover announces the author to be one _Jenna Geyer_. The image is a minimalistic illustration of a ski lift, and a sticker just below the title announces the novel to be the winner of a Pulitzer Prize. Liam’s face breaks out into an ear-to-ear grin, and he quickly opens the book to the dedication page.

**_To my baby boy Liam, his beautiful husband Theo, his talented step-daughter Maggie, and their new addition. I wish to give you all the worlds that you desire_ **

Just below the dedication, there is a quote. It’s not an epigraph, but a message:

_”Life is the flower for which love is the honey.” - Victor Hugo_

“What’s wrong?” Theo asks, an edge of concern in his voice.

Liam looks up, finally broken from his trance, teary-eyed. He laughs, wiping the tears away with the edges of his sleeve. “Nothing, nothing at all.” He grabs out for Sawyer and hands Theo the novel, “if you ever doubt who the sappiest Dunbar-Geyer is, just remember that it is most certainly my mother.”

Liam watches as Theo reads the dedication, also teary suddenly, looking back up at Liam with a laugh. “I think you might be right about that one.”

Maggie walks into the room, flowers in her hair, and Liam can’t stop himself from gaping. He is taken back to the newspaper article that he read all those years ago, the picture of Ophelia with her hair in a braid, wildflowers strewn throughout it. Liam looks to Theo, whose eyes have somehow gotten mistier, and smiles as comfortingly as possible.

“You look beautiful,” Theo says, going over to hug Maggie.

“Don’t get emotional on me, Dad,” Maggie responds, hugging him back.

Theo laughs, shaking his head. He fishes the car keys from his pocket, handing them to Maggie. “Go wait in the car, kiddo. We just have to pack up the rest of Sawyer’s things in his baby bag.”

Maggie nods, excitedly running past Theo and out the front door, shoes already on from her time upstairs.

After watching her leave, Theo looks at Liam, a few silent tears streaming down his cheeks. “She looks just like her mother.”

Liam puts Sawyer down in his playpen, turning back to face Theo. Theo accepts the invitation, falling into Liam’s open arms. Liam softly cards his fingers through Theo’s hair, careful not to fluff it too much. “I know, babe. I know.”

Theo lets a few more tears free, holding Liam tight, before he finally let's go, backing up. “Lia would be so proud,” he says, a barely-there smile on his lips.

“She would be, Maggie is incredible,” Liam nods, smiling softly.

Theo laughs, wiping his tears, “she is. She really is.” He checks himself over in the mirror, nothing particularly out of place though his eyes are a little puffy, and he gives Liam another kiss, this one a little longer, hands holding Liam’s face. When he pulls away, Liam extends to put a soft kiss on Theo’s nose, and then his forehead, and despite years of affection, _years of unconditional love_ , Theo’s cheeks still turn light pink underneath Liam’s fingers. Liam can’t help but smile that same dopey, lovesick smile that Theo has had the pleasure of witnessing for years.

“Alright, we gotta go, Babe,” Liam says, turning around to lift Sawyer from the playpen, grabbing the satchel on the floor next to it on his way up. 

Theo toes on his shoes before taking the baby bag from Liam, holding open the screen door so Liam can exit before him, locking the door to their home behind them. They had moved in together only months after Liam moved back to Beacon Hills. The house is big, plenty of room for the four of them, _and more_ , and only a five minute drive away from the bookstore.

The back room of the bookstore has been returned to a homework room for the local high schoolers, though the kitchen still stands, now operating as somewhat of a community kitchen for those less fortunate in the area. 

Following the release of Liam’s miniseries, all those years ago, he threw himself into activism, and he, Theo, and David had managed to make some real changes in the area prior to David’s retirement. They even managed to make legal changes in the healthcare system, changes that can be seen nationwide. It’s still not perfect, and people of colour do remain at a disadvantage within systems of the government, but Liam still feels hopeful, he feels like maybe, by the time Maggie is fully grown, she will be in a world that views her as equal, and she will not be at risk of the same things that her mother once was.

In terms of Liam’s career, it only got bigger. He continued to do his travel series, taking Maggie and Theo along with him, and eventually Sawyer too. His career was at a peak despite his move from LA, and he’s now planning for a TV show that had been offered to him by Discovery Channel, a show that would take an in-depth look into his travels and his history knowledge.

The greenhouse is prospering, new flowers growing each season, and one day, when Maggie is finally eighteen, Theo will gift it to her. For now, Tara and Tracy tend it part-time, when they’re not busy at the florists. The life that the four of them have made, along with those around them, has turned into something beautiful, something magical.

And now, they’re driving to the grand opening of the second Hale Home location. The second location is in the heart of Los Angeles, and Alec has put his heart and soul into the preparations. He will be running it alongside Lori, Brett, and Nolan, and they will offer the same services and family as the original Hale Home, that Derek still runs. After the mini-series, the Hale Home had a stark increase in visits, and local at-risk teens felt less stigma regarding reaching out. 

As they get in the car and Theo starts to drive, him and Maggie doing some cheesy sing-along to some Disney soundtrack, Liam can’t help but take it all in. _He can’t help but breathe_. This is his life now, honestly and truly, and he could not have possibly imagined anything better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this made me oddly emotional, but thank you guys for sticking around for this! This is the first long fic I have written in years, and some parts were a little tougher than I expected. Thanks for all the kudos and the comments! Hope you guys enjoyed <3

**Author's Note:**

> This idea literally came to me right before I fell asleep last night, so please strap in for the ~~predictable~~ wild ride that will be Thiam as a hallmark movie. I used a hallmark Christmas movie title generator for the title because apparently, I think I'm funny.
> 
> I'm going to try to post one chapter a day up until Christmas!
> 
> Feedback and comments are always welcome, and check out [my tumblr](https://boyswillbepups.tumblr.com) if you want. Thanks for reading!


End file.
